A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 

mi"     BY        ttt* 

ELIZABETH  PHIPPS  TRAIN 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


BY  ELIZABETH  PHIPPS  TRAIN 

A  SOCIAL  HIGHWAYMAN 

THE  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  A  PROFESSIONAL 
BEAUTY 

A  MARITAL  LIABILITY 

ISSUED     IN     THE     LOTOS     LIBRARY 

Tall  i6mo.    Illustrated.    Buckram,  75  cents  per  volume 

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A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 
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A 

QUEEN  OF   HEARTS 

BY 
ELIZABETH  PHIPPS  TRAIN 


J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT    COMPANY 
PHILADELPHIA  MDCCCXCVIII 


COPYRIGHT,  1897, 

BY 
ELIZABETH  PHIFFS  TRAIN. 


PUBLISHER'S  NOTE 


(SOME  months  ago  a  gentleman  chanced  to  dis- 
cover a  quantity  of  loose  manuscript  in  a  secret 
drawer  of  a  desk  which  he  had  bought  at  auction. 
This,  out  of  mere  idle  curiosity,  he  sorted  and 
arranged,  becoming  so  interested  in  its  perusal 
while  placing  it  in  order  that  he  concluded  to  edit 
it  for  publication. 

It  was  claimed  by  the  auctioneer  who  sold  it 
that  the  desk  had  been  the  property  of  a  celebrated 
actress,  but  he  was  unable  to  furnish  the  lady's 
name;  nor  was  it  possible  for  the  purchaser  to 
identify  her  by  means  of  her  manuscript,  as 
throughout  her  history  she  had  made  use  of 
initials  only  in  referring  both  to  persons  and  places. 

Himself  a  man  of  wide  acquaintance  with  the 
stage  as  well  as  the  social  world,  Mr.  J.  con- 
sidered that  where  he  was  baffled  in  an  attempt  at 
identification  others  were  not  likely  to  be  more 
successful.  Therefore,  having  taken  the  additional 
precaution  to  change  the  initials  of  the  names — 
which  he  filled  in,  according  to  his  fancy — as  they 
occurred  in  the  manuscript,  he  has  thought  it  no 
harm  to  offer  these  memoirs  to  the  public.) 


A  QUEEN  OF  HEARTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

TO-DAY  Lisa  was  married.  A  simple  sentence 
that,  and  how  easily  written !  My  pen  slipped  as 
smoothly  over  the  paper  as  if  I  were  writing 

"  How  do  you  do  ?  It  is  a  pleasant  day " 

My  God,  my  God !  how  have  I  been  crucified  this 
day!  How  great  agony  can  a  woman's  heart 
endure  and  not  break ! 

Yet  I  bore  it  well,  even  to  kissing  my  girl's 
husband,  and  bidding  him  love  and  cherish  her. 
Ah,  my  training  stood  me  in  good  stead.  I 
smiled,  I  chattered,  I  played  my  part:  how,  did 
they  say  ?  "  Like  a  gracious  sovereign  bestowing 
the  hand  of  a  princess  royal  upon  a  noble  suitor." 
Play-actress!  cheat!  impostor!  Was  it  so — was 
it  so  I  felt  ?  No ;  no.  Like  a  woman,  rather ;  a 
miserable,  hapless,  hopeless  woman,  who  had  no 
choice  left  her  but  to  rend  her  soul  with  her  own 
fingers ;  to  tear,  with  determined,  deliberate  hands, 
her  heart  from  her  breast  and,  ruthlessly,  in  the 
very  face  and  eyes  of  the  public,  trample  it  be- 
neath her  own  feet ;  to  ache,  and  suffer,  and  sob 

5 


6  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

internally,  while  she  smiled  at  the  crowd  and 
danced  merrily  to  the  pipes. 

Oh,  the  comfort  of  my  own  presence  and  none 
other.  My  whole  being  is  en  deshabille ;  I  can 
loosen  all  the  bonds  that  have  constrained  me 
throughout  the  long  day,  and  let  my  face  assume 
what  look  it  will.  If  I  might  but  talk  to  some  one ; 
give  vent  to  all  this  agony  that  oppresses  me.  I 
want  to  throw  myself  and  all  my  troubles  upon 
some  sympathizing  breast  and  make  moan,  so 
relieving  my  heart  and  securing  that  pity  which 
no  one  would  ever  dream  of  bestowing  on  a 
queen  of  comedy. 

Why  should  I  not,  for  want  of  a  better,  make 
blank  paper  my  confidante  ?  I  have  always  kept 
a  brief  journal  of  events,  this,  which  has  to-day, 
for  the  first  time,  assumed  the  character  of  a 
transcript  of  emotions.  What  if  I  create  a  fresh 
interest  for  myself  by  writing  out  the  story  of  my 
life,  and,  when  I  shall  have  brought  it  up  to  this 
day,  I  will  place  it  in  the  hands  of  a  stern  reviewer, 
my  own  conscience,  and  let  it  pronounce  a  critical 
estimate  of  the  ethical  value  of  the  work. 

What  has  made  such  utter  shipwreck  of  my  life  ? 
No  woman  has  ever  had  greater  success  in  the 
special  career  she  has  chosen  than  I.  No  woman 
in  my  position  has  ever  received  more  respect  and 
appreciation.  I  have  never  even  experienced  that 
temptation  to  sin  which,  it  is  said,  so  generally 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  7 

assails  women  of  the  stage.  It  is  no  credit  to  me 
that  my  reputation  is  without  stain  or  blemish.  It 
would  simply  be  impossible  for  me,  constituted  as 
I  am,  to  have  permitted  immorality  to  attaint  me. 
I  cannot  imagine  a  woman  allowing  her  conduct 
to  fall  below  the  standard  of  her  own  self-respect. 

I  am  rich ;  I  am  virtuous,  talented,  beautiful, — 
there  is  no  vanity  in  the  remark ;  my  beauty  has 
long  been  a  matter  of  public  comment;  besides 
which,  exquisitely  lovely  as  my  Lisa  was  to-day 
in  her  wedding-robes,  it  was  I,  her  mother,  who 
provoked  the  admiration  of  the  crowd.  She,  my 
blessed  little  altar  of  sacrifice,  chided  me  laugh- 
ingly for  outshining  the  bride,  and  even  the  proud 
and  radiant  husband  scolded  me  roundly  for 
eclipsing  his  little  wife  upon  her  marriage-day. 

What  is  this  ?  a  tear,  right  in  the  middle  of  the 
sheet !  Do  not  let  me  come  to  tears,  O  Heaven, 
I  beseech  thee !  I  have  a  pretty  hatred  of  damp 
women.  And  what  cause  for  tears  has  a  woman 
endowed  with  all  the  advantages  enumerated 
above?  That  is  my  secret.  Later,  if  I  do  not 
abandon  my  present  purpose,  I  intend  to  pour  it 
into  one  faithful  breast,  which,  if  I  am  then  so 
minded,  I  can  forthwith  do  to  death  without  fear 
of  criminal  proceedings. 

I  think  it  was  that  one  unlicensed  action  of  mine 
so  long  ago  that  has  cast  its  shadow  over  my  life. 
Do  I  regret  it?  I  cannot  say.  Given  the  same 


8  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

conditions,  would  I  repeat  it  ?  Perhaps.  Should 
I  be  a  happier  woman  to-day  if  I  had  not  com- 
mitted it  ?  Who  can  tell. 

To-day  I  am  thirty-seven  years  old.  Lisa  chose 
that  her  wedding  should  take  place  upon  the  anni- 
versary of  my  birth.  My  feast-day,  as  they  say 
abroad.  Humph !  A  Barmecidal  feast,  in  very 
truth.  Nearly  every  dish  upon  my  table  is  empty. 
But  one  holds  savory  and  satisfying  viands :  that 
containing  the  love  which  exists  between  my  child 
and  me. 

Let  me  look  back  across  thirty-seven  years, 
then,  to  a  day  when  Time  first  had  significance  for 
me.  An  ungenerous  moment  that  of  my  birth, 
bestowing  and  depriving  in  the  same  instant.  For 
that  brief  space  which  gave  me  breath  robbed  my 
mother  of  the  feeble  spark  of  life  which  had 
burned  but  dimly  within  her  since  she  had  been 
left — a  poor,  unfortunate  little  wife ;  an  expectant 
mother,  scarcely  out  of  her  bridehood — to  do 
battle  with  a  world  which  held  her  fittingly  pun- 
ished for  a  supreme  act  of  folly  and  weakness. 

In  the  speech  of  that  little  hamlet  which  com- 
posed her  universe  she  had  "  made  a  fool  of  her- 
self" by  marrying  a  foreigner;  a  gay,  unprincipled, 
attractive  young  Frenchman ;  a  light-opera  tenor, 
who  had  been  sent  into  temporary  residence  in 
Sheraton  in  order  that  the  dry,  pure  air  of  the 
place  might  benefit  and  restore  an  overtaxed  voice. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  9 

Rumor  has  it  that  she  was  a  village  beauty. 
Gossip  (and,  alas !  I  fear  this  time  the  crone's  voice 
is  that  of  truth  as  well)  insists  he  was  a  rogue  and 
rascal.  At  all  events,  not  many  months  succeeded 
her  honeymoon  before  the  poor  "  fool"  awoke  to  the 
discovery  that,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  though 
Death  had  no  part  in  her  bereavement,  she  was  a 
widow.  Paul  Carette,  after  a  year's  wearisome  expa- 
triation from  that  land  of  Bohemia  which  was  so 
congenial  to  his  temperament ;  after  twelve  months' 
dreary  stagnation  in  one  of  the  world's  kitchen- 
gardens,  in  one  of  those  dull  villages  where  the 
fairest  blooms  are  but  those  of  vegetables ;  where 
the  atmosphere,  mental,  moral,  and  physical,  is 
adapted  solely  to  the  cultivation  of  useful  crops ; 
where  brightness  and  sunshine  are  rather  feared 
than  courted,  lest  they  injure,  by  their  too  great  po- 
tency, springing  plants  and  tender  growths, — after 
an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  enliven  this  depressing 
monotony  by  a  legitimately  sentimental  episode,  my 
father,  divesting  himself  of  marital  obligations  as 
easily  as  he  had  assumed  them,  took  an  essentially 
Gallic  leave  of  Sheraton  and  of  the  pretty  korn- 
blume  which  he  had  so  carelessly  torn  from  its 
safely  established  roots. 

If  I  speak  flippantly  of  .my  father's  conduct,  it  is 
not  that  I  do  not  reprobate  it  heartily.  I  hold 
him  a  coward,  a  scoundrel,  a  worse  than  thief  and 
brigand,  to  have  deliberately  and  of  set  purpose 


io  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

acquired  a  treasure  of  inestimable  value,  a  thing 
of  immortal  worth,  only  to  drop  it  lightly  from  his 
indifferent  hold  into  the  mire  of  unavailing  regret 
and  woe  when  he  had  made  an  exhaustive  exami- 
nation of  its  exquisite  and  lovely  intricacies.  I 
have  no  words  harsh  enough  to  condemn  properly 
the  man  who  cheats  and  betrays  a  woman,  be  she 
wife  or  mistress.  And  yet — and  yet,  in  treating 
of  my  father's  baseness,  I,  Pauline  Mavis,  must 
need  take  heed  of  that  divine  command,  so  vitally 
qualified :  "  Let  him  that  is  without  sin  among  you 
cast  the  first  stone." 

And  so  my  hand  falls  powerless,  impotent, — for, 
in  sooth,  I,  who  would  make  the  assault,  am  far 
from  sinless ;  am  guilty,  indeed,  even  in  fashion  like 
unto  that  I  would  condemn.  It  is  a  fearful,  a  most 
sad  and  miserable  thing,  for  a  child  to  discover  in 
itself  those  parental  traits  which  it  most  abhors ; 
to  seek  in  its  own  character  the  reproduction  of 
the  admirable  features  of  the  one  parent,  only  to 
behold  the  detestable  lineaments  of  the  other.  I 
would  have  moulded  myself  after  my  mother's 
image;  Nature  fashioned  me  more  largely  after 
that  of  my  father.  By  temperament  I  am  so  akin 
to  him  that,  even  while  I  pity  and  deprecate  my 
mother's  wrong  and  anguish,  I  can  in  a  measure 
sympathize  with  and  understand  the  motives  that 
directed  the  dastardly  conduct  which  occasioned  it. 

For,  have   I   not,   likewise,  been    constrained, 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  1 1 

coerced,  hampered,  fretted  beyond  the  limits  of 
my  endurance  by  the  narrow,  dull,  and  dreary- 
life  of  Sheraton  village?  Have  I  not  sought, 
conscientiously  and  with  real  ardor,  to  content 
myself  with  the  companionship  of  turnips,  carrots, 
and  cabbages  ?  Have  I  not  tried  earnestly  to  cul- 
tivate the  belief  that  vegetable  blooms  were  real 
flowers,  and  that  their  ofttimes  delicate  beauty 
indicated  refinement  and  sensibility  within  the 
plant,  only  to  be  disappointed  as  I  have  watched 
the  fair  promise  of  higher  things  fade  away,  and  the 
fruit  develop  into  a  mere  article  of  utility,  fit  alone 
for  the  consumption  of  boors  and  clod-hoppers  ? 

Her  husband's  desertion  left  my  mother  stranded. 
She  had  no  money,  no  family,  no  resources,  and 
but  one  available  friend.  But  he  was  a  host  in 
himself. 

James  Mavis  was  the  recently  settled  minister 
of  the  Sheraton  orthodox  church.  He  was  like- 
wise my  mother's  cousin,  and  had  hoped  to  marry 
her.  He  lived  in  the  parsonage  with  his  mother, 
a  dear,  tender  old  soul,  to  whom  I  owe  the  few 
indulgencies  of  my  childhood.  The  news  of  her 
niece's  misfortune  no  sooner  became  public  prop- 
erty than  Aunt  Caroline  hastened  to  her,  asserting 
that  she  came  as  her  son's  ambassadress,  to  offer 
the  protection  and  shelter  of  his  home  to  her  for 
so  long  a  time  as  she  should  feel  disposed  to 
accept  them. 


12  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

The  proposition  afforded  Hobson's  choice  to  the 
desolate  woman.  Fain  was  she,  in  her  desperate 
strait,  to  comply  with  so  happy  a  suggestion ;  and 
so  it  was  that  I,  danseuse,  comedienne,  queen  of 
opera  bouffe,  came  to  be  born  beneath  the  roof  of 
that  direst  of  all  respectabilities,  an  orthodox 
parsonage. 

There  I  existed,  I  grew  up,  I  dwelt.  I  did  not 
live:  I  never  lived  until  I  got  away  from  those 
stunting,  crippling,  paralyzing  principles  and  tra- 
ditions. No  one  in  that  house — indeed,  no  one  in 
the  whole  village — understood  me.  There  was  too 
much  of  the  alien  about  me  for  the  comprehension 
of  those  excellent,  but  circumscribed,  souls.  My 
moods,  impulses,  and  instincts  astonished,  dis- 
gusted, and  shocked  them. 

They  would  have  had  me  follow  the  village 
pattern,  become  a  stolid  maiden  of  cut-and-dried 
ideas  and  inclinations,  bound  my  aspirations  by  the 
most  rustic  limitations,  and  tread  with  listless, 
dragging  feet  the  same  pathway  of  deadly  monot- 
ony their  mothers  had  trod.  They  reckoned  with- 
out the  foreign  quicksilver  in  my  veins.  My 
mother's  cousin  was  a  man  possessed  of  abnormal 
virtue  and  no  imagination.  However  safe  and 
excellent  a  condition  this  for  the  person  enjoying 
it,  heaven  help  those  of  more  vivid  temperament 
whom  Fate  brings  within  its  shadow  !  God  help 
those  of  sanguine  spirit  who  fall  victims  to  its 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  13 

influence !  The  atmosphere  of  the  parsonage  was 
as  chaste  as  snow — and  as  cold.  But  for  the  oc- 
casional outcroppings  of  Aunt  Caroline's  more 
genial  nature,  even  my  warm,  southern  vivacity 
must  have  become  chilled  and  frozen  in  its  very 
infancy. 

But  these  manifestations  of  a  livelier  humor  in 
the  mother  were  never  greatly  encouraged  by  the 
son,  and  therefore  they  were  kept  quite  generally 
duly  repressed,  much  to  my  sorrow  and  regret, 
who  would  have  welcomed  a  constant  exhibition 
of  gaiety. 

James  Mavis  set  no  chamber  of  his  mind  free  to 
the  intrusion  of  humor.  He  regarded  life  not  only 
seriously,  but  austerely ;  wholly  as  an  opportunity, 
mercifully  vouchsafed  us,  for  the  saving  of  our 
souls.  Any  moment  not  devoted  to  that  purpose 
was  a  precious  interval  gone  to  waste.  The  act 
of  salvation  was  constantly  before  his  eyes,  draped 
not  in  the  beautiful  mantle  of  charity  and  Divine 
clemency,  but  in  the  forbidding  habit  of  punish- 
ment and  rigor.  Laughter  was  the  handmaiden 
of  levity,  levity  that  of  sin,  and  sin  was  corrup- 
tion; so  he  argued,  and,  so  arguing,  discouraged 
all  cause  for  merriment.  But  humor  is  a  spring 
and  will  not  wholly  be  repressed,  and  those  mo- 
ments when  it  bubbled  to  the  surface  of  Aunt 
Caroline's  spirit  and  found  vent  were  thefestas  of 
my  early  childhood. 


14  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

The  dear  old  soul  never  made  the  most  trifling 
jest  without  keeping  an  anxious  eye  to  windward. 
Not  that  squall  or  tempest  ever  disturbed  the  cold 
severity  of  her  son's  face,  which  had  but  a  single 
expression  for  all  the  varied  events  of  life, — a  look 
of  steadfast  and  impeccable  virtue,  not  self-com- 
placent nor  self-righteous,  but  self-assured  and 
absolutely  impregnable ;  the  look  of  one  who  has 
founded  his  house  upon  a  rock  and  rests  secure 
and  satisfied  as  to  the  stability  of  his  mansion.  I 
always  felt  that  James  Mavis's  mansion  was  built 
of  the  same  stern  and  unelastic  material  as  its 
foundation. 

How  often  have  I  mentally  dashed  my  spirit 
against  that  flint-like  exterior!  How  have  I 
longed  to  make  that  immobile  face  show  feeling 
of  some  sort,  even  if  it  were  but  rage  and  anger ! 
How  have  I,  wickedly  and  of  malice  determined, 
wrought  against  that  marble  self-possession  only 
to  have  my  efforts  recoil  unsuccessfully  upon  my 
own  head ! 

He  was,  by  all  odds,  the  best  man,  from  a  purely 
moral  stand-point,  I  have  ever  known.  According 
to  such  lights  as  were  his  was  he  just,  upright, 
conscientious, — yes,  even  kind  and  charitable; 
wholly  unselfish,  unsparing,  and  inconsiderate  of 
himself  to  the  verge  of  martyrdom.  But,  if  the 
choice  were  offered  me  of  placing  in  the  hands  of 
a  man  of  like  excellence,  for  the  purpose  of  rear- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  1 5 

ing,  a  child  of  disposition  and  proclivities  similar 
to  mine,  or  of  seeing  that  child  in  infancy  fall  vic- 
tim to  a  mortal  disease,  I  think,  having  had  per- 
sonal and  corroding  experience  of  such  narrow 
and  intolerant  virtue,  I  should  turn  down  my 
thumbs. 

If  Aunt  Caroline  had  but  lived,  things  might 
have  gone  better  with  me.  She  died,  however, 
before  I  reached  the  age  of  eight.  Hers  was  so 
sad  a  loss  to  me  that  I  well-nigh  exhausted  Mr. 
Mavis's  patience  by  my  inquiries  concerning  it, 
and  he  did  his  best  to  explain  the  great  mystery 
in  terms  intelligible  to  my  childish  mind.  But  I 
remember  that  my  first  feeling  of  active  rebellion 
against  the  Ruler  of  the  universe  arose  out  of  his 
well-intentioned,  but  abortive,  attempts  to  reconcile 
me  to  my  loss  by  urging  the  fact  of  Divine  inter- 
position. In  answer  to  my  passionate  demand  as 
to  why  Aunt  Caroline  died  when  I  needed  her  so 
much,  he  replied  that  God  wanted  her. 

This  undue  covetousness  on  the  part  of  One 
who  had  so  wide  and  unrestricted  a  choice  of  the 
best  things  on  earth,  while  I  had  so  little,  aroused 
my  ire  and  indignation.  Fear  of  Mr.  Mavis  did 
not  allow  me  to  show  forth  the  resentment  that 
consumed  me.  But  it  continued  to  burn  away  in 
my  little  breast,  until  one  day,  as  I  was  walking 
decorously  along  the  street  with  my  reverend 
guardian,  it  found  expression.  A  cart  was  passing 


1 6  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

heavily  laden  with  calves  on  their  way  to  market. 
I  pointed  them  out  to  my  companion.  "What 
are  those  ?"  I  asked.  "  Calves,"  he  replied.  "  How 
funny  they  look!"  I  exclaimed.  "What  is  the 
matter  with  them?"  "They  are  dead,"  he  an- 
swered. "  Why  did  they  die  ?"  I  inquired,  anx- 
iously. "  Did  God  want  them,  too  ?"  Mr.  Mavis 
paused  a  moment.  Perhaps,  feeling  weary  and 
unequal  to  another  long-winded  debate  upon  the 
subject,  he  contented  himself  with  a  simple  assent 
to  my  suggestion.  "Yes,"  he  said;  "certainly 
God  wanted  them."  I  remember  well  the  thrill 
of  satisfaction  that  went  through  me  at  the  dis- 
comfiture of  my  enemy.  "  Well,"  I  said,  with  a 
toss  of  the  head  and  a  little  laugh  of  malevolent 
triumph,  "  He  didn't  get  them,  did  He  ?" 

My  childish  irreverence  gained  me  ill-propor- 
tioned punishment.  Horror-stricken  by  the  flip- 
pancy of  my  rejoinder,  Mr.  Mavis  turned  me  face 
about  and  marched  me  home,  sending  me  to  bed 
with  dry  bread  and  cold  water  for  my  only  sus- 
tenance till  morning.  So  were  all  my  little  un- 
thinking and  generally  unintentional  acts  of  folly 
dealt  with.  A  prejudice  against  God  and  heaven 
took  hold  of  me.  I  was  not  overtly  rebellious, 
but  I  secretly  hated  religion  for  all  the  privations 
it  entailed. 

It  seemed  to  me  at  times  that  I  was  the  only 
creature  alive  in  the  whole  village.  I  was  bursting 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  17 

with  animal  spirits  and  vivacity.  I  was  consumed 
with  lively  instincts  and  impulses  quite  natural 
and  harmless  in  themselves,  but  which,  had  I  dis- 
closed them  to  my  guardian,  would  have  awakened 
in  him  the  fear  that  I  was  the  victim  of  an  evil 
possession. 

The  spirit  of  my  actor-father  was  strong  in  me. 
I  loved  all  kinds  of  movement  and  excitement,  but 
above  and  beyond  every  other  exercise  I  loved 
that  of  dancing ;  my  fondness  for  it  was  a  genuine 
passion.  As  I  grew  to  womanhood  my  limbs 
became  long,  lithe,  shapely,  and  supple,  willing  and 
capable  servants  of  the  rhythmic  impulses  that 
rioted  in  my  brain.  My  body  ever  moved  sway- 
ingly  and  with  charm.  I  think,  even  at  the  tran- 
sition period,  when  girls  are  usually  awkward  and 
gawky,  I  never  fell  from  grace.  Some  surrep- 
titious amusements  I  had;  indeed,  my  only  real 
amusements  were  of  that  character.  The  dearest, 
most  beloved,  that  of  which  I  never  tired,  was 
that  which  I  was  most  careful  to  conceal.  For 
dancing,  if  it  were  not  regarded  quite  one  of  the 
seven  deadly  sins,  was  yet  held  in  strong  disfavor 
and  reprobation  at  the  parsonage,  where  my 
guardian  was,  I  think,  ever  on  the  alert  for  signs 
in  me  of  my  father's  mercurial  and  vicious  tem- 
perament. 

There  was  an  old  man  in  Sheraton  to  whom  I 
became  warmly  attached.  He  was  the  village 


1 8  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

shoemaker/and  about  his  hoary  head  the  nimbus  of 
homely  romance  hung, — a  fact  which  alone  would 
have  endeared  him  to  me,  as  one  who  had  at  least 
trodden  the  boundaries  of  Arcady.  Up  to  the  age 
of  fifty  his  life  had  been  sufficiently  prosaic,  yet 
somewhat  distinguished  from  mere  horticultural 
development  by  the  companionship  of  a  lady  of 
high  degree,  no  less  a  person,  indeed,  than  a 
heavenly  maid  that  had  descended  from  her  lofty 
estate  to  enthrone  herself  in  the  breast  of  an 
humble,  but  fervent,  worshipper.  But  Music  had 
been  his  only  female  companion  throughout  his 
five  decades.  Then,  alas !  one  day  Grove  Pensy 
was  taken  in  hand  and  married  by  a  buxom  widow 
of  thirty-five. 

Not  long  did  he  remain  a  Benedict,  however. 
The  enterprising  bride  made  it  her  immediate 
business  to  induce  her  victim  to  settle  upon  her 
what  fortune  he  had.  A  month  after  the  property 
passed  into  her  hands  Grove  was  left  again  to  the 
sole  comradeship  of  his  muse.  He  had  loved  the 
woman  deeply;  he  had  trusted  implicitly  in  her 
disinterestedness ;  he  bore  his  desertion  as  he  did  all 
things, — quietly,  bravely,  and  in  silence.  But  one 
act  of  open  resentment  he  manifested.  This  was 
to  take  down  the  sign  which  hung  outside  his 
lonely  dwelling  and  append  to  its  advertisement 
one  word  declaring,  as  he  believed,  his  purpose  to 
remain  thencetorward  a  single  man.  Whereas  the 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  19 

legend  had  formerly  read  "  Grove  Pensy"  and 
beneath  "  Boots  and  Shoes  Made  and  Repaired," 
now  it  ran,  "  Grove  Pensy  Forever,  Boots  and 
Shoes,"  etc. 

The  old  man  had  known  my  father,  who  had 
happened  upon  him  just  after  his  wife  absconded. 
The  love  of  the  divine  science,  imperfectly  devel- 
oped though  it  was  in  both  men,  drew  them 
together.  The  only  being  in  Sheraton  who  ever 
mentioned  Paul  Carette  with  toleration  or  liking 
was  Pensy,  and  he  loved  him.  The  mantle  of  the 
old  man's  affection  for  my  father  fell  later  upon  my 
shoulders.  Grove  and  I  became  comrades,  close 
friends,  and  secret  allies.  It  happened  in  this  way. 

I  was  kept  under  pretty  strict  watch  as  a  usual 
thing.  My  physical  welfare  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  my  guardian's  housekeeper  and  general 
factotum,  Maria  Wetherbee ;  also  a  member  of  the 
church  in  good  and  regular  standing ;  a  stiff  and 
rigid  disciplinarian  of  spinster  condition,  who  was 
eternally  admonishing  me  "for  my  own  good." 
She  harassed  and  goaded  me  in  a  thousand  ways, 
and  I  hated  her. 

The  village  school-mistress  was  made  respon- 
sible for  my  mental  growth,  and,  as  I  was  facile  in 
circumvention  from  regular  practice  upon  difficult 
subjects,  I  found  little  trouble  in  imposing  upon 
her  simple  credulity.  There  is  small  doubt  but 
that  as  a  child  I  was  a  liar.  Whether  so  congeni- 


2o  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

tally  or  so  perverted  through  the  exigencies  of 
circumstance  I  cannot  declare,  but  the  fact  remains. 
Hour  after  hour  I  stole  from  school  and  devoted 
to  more  congenial  occupation,  offering  as  excuse 
for  absence  my  guardian's  need  of  my  services. 

And  these  stolen  hours,  after  I  found  him,  I 
spent  with  Grove  Pensy  and  his  fiddle.  Doing 
what?  Why,  dancing,  dancing,  dancing,  until 
the  blood  rushed  madly  through  my  viens,  my 
head  swam,  my  brain  reeled  with  ecstasy,  and  I 
was  no  longer  a  soulless  chattel  of  dull  earth,  but 
a  winged  spirit  of  the  spheres,  glorying  in  the 
very  freedom  of  my  own  limbs,  revelling  in  a  new 
element;  mad,  yes,  actually  mad  with  the  mere 
joyousness  of  motion. 

I  became  wondrously  proficient  under  the  tute- 
lage of  my  own  instinct  and  fancy.  It  has  been 
said  of  me,  in  praise  of  my  dancing,  that  I  am  orig- 
inal, that  my  methods  are  founded  upon  no  model ; 
that  I  am,  as  a  dancer,  sui  generis.  It  is  true. 
Instruction  I  have  never  had.  I  follow  no  prece- 
dent ;  I  have  never  practised  a  step  in  my  life.  But 
I  have  danced  as  I  have  breathed,  as  a  matter  of 
course  and  necessity.  For  one  year  only  have  I 
been  cut  off  from  that  natural  outlet  of  the  emo- 
tions which  arise  within  me ;  and  in  that  year  I 
was  like  to  die. 

Also,  in  those  days  I  had  music  that  inspired 
me  as  music  has  seldom  done  since.  It,  too,  was 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  21 

a  thing  of  celestial  realms,  unlearned  of  earth. 
Inspiration  lodged  in  Grove  Pensy's  soul,  and  it 
caught  fire  from  my  ardor.  Never  was  there 
question  of  what  time  the  old  riddle  was  to  keep 
or  of  what  movement  I  wished  it  to  mark.  But 
one  condition  constrained  us  each :  that  he  should 
play  and  I  should  dance.  All  else  was  a  mere 
matter  of  fortuity.  Oh,  those  hours !  Oh,  those 
happy,  those  beatific  hours  !  I  may  well  place 
above  your  dear  old  head,  Grove  Pensy,  a  tablet 
to  the  memory  of  one  who  was  the  sole  encour- 
ager  of  the  single  talent  God  has  given  me ! 

From  the  age  of  fourteen  to  that  of  seventeen  I 
was  a  regular  and  secret  visitor  and  companion  of 
the  old  shoemaker.  I  was  deft  in  deceit,  and,  as 
his  little  shop  was  in  a  somewhat  isolated  and  un- 
frequented part  of  the  village,  it  was  a  matter  easy 
of  management  for  me  to  journey  thither  unob- 
served. When  occasion  demanded  a  falsehood  to 
account  for  my  being  seen  upon  the  street  during 
school-hours,  my  tongue  glibly  furnished  it  forth, 
— so  glibly,  indeed,  that  my  untruthfulness  was 
never  detected. 

But  one  day,  after  I  had  turned  seventeen,  Fate 
had  ill-proportioned  and  dreadful  revenge  upon 
me.  It  was  a  wonderful  day  in  early  spring ;  the 
first  real  promise  the  season  had  given  that 
summer  was  advancing.  I  was  a  pupil  in  the 
village  academy,  one  of  the  class  soon  to  graduate. 


22  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

As  I  sat  in  the  ugly  school-room  that  morning, 
surrounded  by  bumpkins  poring  over  their  books, 
breathing  in  the  close  and  fetid  air,  the  exhala- 
tions of  many  laboring  lungs,  a  quick  and  im- 
petuous impatience  got  the  better  of  my  circum- 
spection. From  my  seat  I  could  look  out  of  a 
window  upon  the  fresh  landscape,  tender  and 
tempting  in  its  bourgeoning  bloom.  A  thirst  for 
the  outside  world,  for  freedom,  movement,  action, 
came  upon  me,  was  working  like  a  fermenting 
liquor  within  my  brain,  and,  if  I  died  for  it,  I  must 
make  the  effort  to  escape  outside  and  give  vent  to 
the  energy  that  effervesced  inside  me.  Boldly  I 
rose  and  approached  the  august  tribunal  where 
Authority  sat  enthroned. 

"  I  feel  very  ill,"  I  said ;  "  I  must  go  home. 
Please  allow  me  to  do  so." 

Mistress,  even  then,  of  the  art  of  dissimulation, 
my  feigned  distress  imposed  upon  the  worthy 
master.  My  leave  was  granted.  I  constrained 
my  steps  to  march  decorously  from  the  room,  but, 
once  outside,  I  flew,  I  rushed,  I  tore  out  of  the 
building  and  whither  my  inclinations  ever  pointed. 
I  burst  in  on  the  old  shoemaker  like  a  tornado. 

"Grove,  Grove,"  I  cried,  "quick,  your  fiddle. 
I  am  mad ;  yes,  I  have  really  gone  mad  with  the 
spring !  Let  me  dance !  Here,  I  must  be  all  free 
to-day.  Wait !" 

And  while  the  old   man,  accustomed  to   my 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  23 

frenzies,  went  slowly  about  putting  his  work  away 
and  getting  ready  his  instrument,  I  tore  down  my 
chestnut  hair  and,  running  my  fingers  through  it, 
tossed  it  freely  about  me  in  wanton  confusion 
until,  being  curly  of  nature,  it  floated  forth  from 
my  person  like  a  cloud. 

How  long  ago  that  seems ! — how  long !  I  look 
back,  and  the  years  that  have  passed,  the  develop- 
ing process  that  has  intervened,  the  wide  interpo- 
sition of  immeasurably  altered  conditions  of  life, 
seem  to  throw  upon  the  reflecting  glass  of  retro- 
spection not  the  well-remembered  features  of  a 
familiar  face,  but  the  half-forgotten  characteristics 
of  a  stranger.  Am  I,  disappointed,  dissatisfied, 
disillusioned  woman  that  I  am,  indeed,  but  the 
blighted  fruition  of  that  springing  seed  of  incarnate 
expectancy  which  sought  so  ardently  that  day  to 
thrust  aside  the  dull  envelope  of  earth  that  cum- 
bered its  vigorous  young  desires  ? 

Oh,  the  immeasurable  distance  between  the 
germ  and  the  tree ;  between  promise  and  fulfil- 
ment ;  between  the  limitless  future  of  youth  and 
the  painfully  circumscribed  past  of  maturity ! 


CHAPTER    II. 

ON  that  spring  morning,  when.  Nature's  impe- 
rious call  echoed  so  loudly  through  my  being,  I 
went  lengths  that  I  had  never  gone  before.  The 
letting  down  of  my  hair  was  but  a  preliminary  step 
in  the  course  of  transformation  I  meditated.  My 
woollen  gown,  a  coarse  affair  designed  for  utility 
alone,  offended  my  eye  as  it  restricted  my  motions. 
In  a  corner  of  the  little  attic-loft,  which,  as  a  the- 
atre secure  from  intrusion,  we  habitually  used  for 
our  dual  performance,  I  remembered  to  have  seen 
a  heap  of  disused,  white  mosquito  netting.  I  bade 
the  old  man  remain  below  until  I  should  call  him, 
sped  lightly  up  the  stairs,  dropped,  with  a  sigh  of 
relief,  my  ugly  and  ill-fitting  gown  upon  the  floor, 
and,  with  the  aid  of  many  pins,  draped  the  dis- 
colored netting  about  my  slender  figure  in  such 
fashion  that  it  left  my  limbs  to  perfect  freedom  of 
movement,  while  it  also  exposed  to  view  my  full, 
white  neck  and  palpitating  bosom. 

Quickly  then  I  thrust  aside  my  heavy  boots  and 
placed  on  my  small,  arched  feet  the  white-silk 
sandals  it  had  been  Grove's  pleasure  to  make  for 
my  wearing,  and,  thus  habited  I  called  impatiently 
to  the  old  man  to  come  up.  My  vanity  was  much 
24 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  25 

gratified  by  his  loud  expressions  of  admiration. 
My  unique  attire  was  undoubtedly  becoming,  for 
I  know  that  even  my  own  critical  eyes  were  well 
satisfied  as  I  considered  myself  in  the  scrap  of 
mirror  which  Grove  had  set  up  in  the  attic.  I  was 
at  that  time  much  interested  in  my  looks,  and 
I  fear  I  was  rather  given  to  speculating  upon  their 
effect  on  others. 

Our  stage-setting  was  quite  simple  and  unconven- 
tional. The  attic  was  really  the  unfinished  upper 
story  of  the  little  dwelling  which  Grove  had  built 
for  his  own  use,  for  which  the  first  floor  amply 
sufficed.  It  was  a  room  perhaps  fifteen  by  twenty- 
five  feet,  quite  unfurnished,  of  course;  its  sides 
were  bordered  with  a  miscellaneous  accumulation 
of  ancient  and  useless  articles, — for  Grove  had  a 
mania  for  collecting  all  sorts  of  discarded  rubbish, 
and  was,  in  a  manner,  the  village  scavenger. 
Broken  chairs,  lame  tables,  rickety  bureaus,  old 
lamps,  worthless  stoves,  andirons,  valueless  pitch- 
ers and  teapots, — china,  indeed,  of  all  sorts  and 
descriptions, — hedged  about  the  square  of  smooth 
boarding  where  I  danced.  Three  small  and  dusty 
windows  let  in  the  daylight  through  their  cob- 
webby panes,  and  admitted  the  fresh  air  that  Grove 
and  I  loved  in  equal  measure.  The  draught  from 
without  was  often  strong  enough  to  set  in  motion 
the  strings  of  dried  fruits  and  vegetables  with 
which  the  old  man  hung  his  rafters. 


26  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

But  one  bit  of  color  enlivened  the  gray  and 
homely  mise-en-scene.  Some  years  ago  a  wealthy 
lady  had  spent  a  season  in  Sheraton,  as  had  my 
father,  for  her  health's  sake.  On  her  departure 
Grove  had  fallen  heir  to  many  of  her  bits  of  tem- 
porary furnishing.  Among  these  had  been  two 
sets  of  Oriental  portieres,  the  vivid  coloring  of 
which  was  almost  a  matter  of  scandal  in  the  quiet 
village.  They  had  appealed  strongly,  however,  to 
the  latent  aesthetic  sensibility  in  their  new  owner, 
and  he  had  hung  them  across  one  end  of  the  room 
wherein  he  humored  his  musical  instinct,  that  his 
eye  might  receive  gratification  at  the  same  moment 
with  his  ear. 

Against  this  background  I  danced.  The  old 
man  occupied  a  broken  settle  at  the  far  end  of  the 
attic.  I  would  sit,  or  rather  lie,  upon  a  heap  of 
old  woollens  piled  upon  the  floor  and  forming  a 
sort  of  rude  couch.  Here  I  lay  and  waited,  allowing 
the  musician  to  get  fairly  into  the  spirit  of  his 
exercise ;  waiting  to  be  filled  with  saltatory  affla- 
tus; holding  back,  until  they  mutinied  against 
further  repression,  my  vibrating  pulses.  Then  a 
leap,  a  spring,  a  burst  of  exultant  joy,  and  I  was 
on  my  feet.  Scarcely  to  touch  the  floor,  however ; 
rather  to  sway  in  air,  suspended  above  material 
substance, — a  thing  of  mere  aerial  motion ;  an 
element  not  of  body ;  a  zephyr ;  an  involuntary  ex- 
pression of  music  and  motion ;  a  human  feather  to 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  27 

be  blown  hither  and  yon  at  the  caprice  of  the 
master  who  directed  my  movements. 

I  did  not  wait  long  that  day.  Old  Grove  had 
drawn  few  notes  from  his  poor  fiddle  before  I 
found  my  self-repression  vanquished.  I  cannot 
say  what  he  played,  and,  perhaps,  were  I  to  hear 
it  now  the  music  would  scarce  excite  in  me  emo- 
tion of  any  sort.  That  day,  however,  it  was  a 
burning  match  applied  to  a  ready  mass  of  combus- 
tion. From  the  dingy  lair  where  I  crouched  ready 
for  a  spring  I  bounded,  my  whole  being  responding 
note  by  note  to  the  strain  from  the  violin.  Never 
had  I  known  such  an  impulse  of  self-abandon- 
ment as  took  possession  of  me.  Never  had  I  so 
yielded  to  the  irresistible  appeal  and  promptings 
of  music;  never  had  my  untutored  motions  been  so 
wanton,  my  self-possession  so  invaded  and  at  fault. 

I  went  literally  mad  with  excess  of  sensibility. 
The  unaccustomed  freedom  of  my  body,  the  rapt 
admiration  of  my  singular  audience,  the  ecstasy 
of  the  season  and  of  my  own  dawning  womanhood, 
fanned  the  fire  in  my  veins  till  it  played  havoc 
with  all  maidenly  restraint.  Never  was  license 
more  boldly,  innocently,  and  ingenuously  sug- 
gested than  in  my  dancing  that  spring  morning. 
The  coarse  and  common  drapery  that  swathed  me 
becoming  unloosed  as  I  danced,  I  used  its  long 
ends  as  a  scarf.  My  flowing  chestnut  mane  floated 
like  a  sunny  veil  about  my  bared  shoulders ;  my 


28  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

eyes,  of  a  greenish  gray,  must  have  glowed,  as  it 
has  been  said  they  do  at  such  times,  like  bits  of 
dark  hematite  ore ;  my  skin,  the  skin  of  Hebe,  of 
Hygeia,  of  fair  and  healthy  youth,  glowed  and 
burned,  hot  and  flushed  with  the  riotous  circula- 
tion of  my  eager  blood. 

Dishevelled,  half-dressed,  and  wholly  intoxicated, 
I  was  assuredly  more  the  type  of  a  wild  and  beau- 
tiful Bacchante  than  of  a  comely,  decorous  village 
maiden,  as  I  moved  in  harmony  with  the  prompt- 
ings of  the  old  shoemaker's  muse. 

There  were  perhaps  ten  minutes  of  inexpressible 
and  perfect  ecstasy.  And  then  a  thing  happened, 
unforeseen,  unprecedented,  and  dreadful.  Tragedy, 
grim  and  dire,  fell  upon  poor,  seductive  Comedy 
and  smote  her  hip  and  thigh.  The  attic-door 
suddenly  opened  and  my  guardian  stood  upon  the 
threshold. 

Few  acts  of  self-indulgence  bring  such  dire  con- 
sequences upon  their  perpetrators  as  mine  brought 
upon  me.  A  woman  indulges  immoral  tendencies 
and  is  ostracized ;  a  man  indulges  a  propensity  for 
unlawful  acquisition  and  is  imprisoned;  another 
indulges  a  violent  temper  by  taking  the  life  of  a 
fellow-being  and  is  hanged.  I  set  open  the  flood- 
gates of  an  emotional  temperament  and  let  loose 
the  dammed-up  waters  that  had  for  long  years 
seethed  and  boiled  within, — and  for  this  I  was 
married. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  29 

Ostracism,  imprisonment,  hanging, — take  these 
forms  of  punishment  and  add  thereto  scourging 
and  the  torture  of  rack  and  thumb-screw,  and  even 
then  you  cannot  approximate  to  so  ingenious  and 
intolerable  a  penalty  as  that  which,  from  the  best 
of  motives,  was  exacted  of  me. 

A  worldling  probably  can  in  no  degree  under- 
stand the  absolute  horror  with  which  my  guar- 
dian's eyes  took  in  my  appearance  and  occupation 
as  the  attic-door  opened  beneath  his  hand  and 
revealed  me  to  his  shocked  and  astonished  gaze. 
I  was  to  him  at  that  moment,  without  doubt,  sin 
incarnate, — a  human  being  in  a  state  of  complete 
obsession ;  one  of  the  swine  of  the  earth  possessed 
by  the  devils  of  intemperance  and  voluptuousness ; 
a  creature  of  corruption,  immodest,  unchaste,  and 
vicious  to  the  last  degree. 

Never  in  my  life  have  I  been  so  affected  by  word 
or  action  as  I  was  in  that  instant  by  the  glance  he 
cast  upon  me.  It  was  that  of  a  rigorous,  accusing 
angel,  and  it  shamed  my  wantonness  to  the  core. 
I  suddenly  became  a  thing  of  horror  to  myself  as 
I  stood  confronting  him  in  my  half-nakedness  and 
disorder,  with  my  hair  streaming  wildly  over  my 
shoulders,  and  my  arms  crossed  with  an  involun- 
tary gesture  of  maidenly  shame  above  my  bare 
and  heaving  bosom. 

He  said  scarcely  anything.  He  was  always  a 
man  of  few  words,  and  when  especially  moved  his 


30  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

silence  was  so  stern  as  to  be  more  impressive  than 
the  most  eloquent  speech.  But  he  bade  me  clothe 
myself  while  he  waited  below  with  Pensy ;  and  I 
think  that  in  the  few  moments  which  sufficed  for 
my  toilet  the  old  shoemaker  was  read  a  lesson  and 
administered  a  rebuke  which  were  more  than  ade- 
quate to  the  occasion. 

Mr.  Mavis  and  I  went  home  together,  both 
dumb  as  mutes.  On  reaching  the  parsonage  he 
ordered  me  to  my  room  for  an  hour,  bidding  me, 
when  that  time  should  have  passed,  repair  to  his 
study.  I  knew  that  that  interval  he  would  spend 
in  "  wrestling  with  the  Lord"  in  my  behalf. 

The  period  allowed  me  for  self-communion  in  no 
wise  re-established  my  former  recklessness.  That 
scandalized  and  withering  glance  from  my  guar- 
dian's eyes  had  made  me  feel  myself  a  thing  ac- 
cused and  outcast.  My  shame  and  penitence  were 
out  of  all  proportion  to  my  guilt,  but  I  did  not  feel 
them  so  then ;  rather  it  seemed,  so  deeply  was  I 
moved  by  his  horror,  that  I  never  could  erase 
from  my  soul  the  impure  stain  with  which  I  had 
smirched  it. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  hour  I  went  to  his 
study,  a  forlorn  and  wretched  culprit ;  a  creature  as 
devoid  of  fire  and  energy  as  is  the  lamp  after  the 
flame  has  been  extinguished.  But,  listless  and 
inanimate  as  I  was,  I  detected  a  very  marked 
change  in  the  usually  impassive  face  of  my  guar- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  3 1 

dian.  There  was  a  look  of  real  human  emotion 
upon  it,  very  different  from  its  ordinary  expression 
of  mere  abstract  interest.  In  his  eyes  was  a  gleam 
almost  of  inward  fire;  upon  his  thin,  aesthetic 
countenance  feebly  flickered  a  faint  flush ;  his 
features  were  far  less  rigid  than  usual,  and  his 
manner,  though  even  and  composed,  had  lost  its 
customary  serenity.  I  was  struck  forcibly  by  his 
unlikeness  to  himself,  and  the  consciousness  of 
guilt  grew  yet  greater  within  me  as  I  was  thus 
reminded  of  the  heinousness  of  a  sin  which  could 
so  work  upon  a  mere  spectator.  How  vile,  how 
utterly  corrupt  must  she  be  who  could  practise 
such  depravity ! 

Mr.  Mavis  received  me  not  angrily,  but  with  a 
sad  disapprobation  there  was  no  mistaking.  He 
motioned  me  to  a  seat,  which  I,  abashed  and 
shamefaced  culprit,  took  with  unfeigned  meekness 
and  humility.  Then  began  a  preachment  with  the 
Scarlet  Woman  and  her  retinue  of  vicious  attri- 
butes for  its  text.  I  was  in  an  extremely  sensitive 
condition,  depressed  and  wretched  from  the  reac- 
tion of  my  late  high  spirits,  and  the  words  I  lis- 
tened to  had  undue  influence  upon  me.  They 
turned  into  morbid  fears  and  reflections  as  they 
struck  ground  within  my  breast,  and  when,  the 
homily  concluded,  my  guardian  and  I,  shepherd 
and  errant  lamb,  fell  upon  our  knees  to  implore 
protection  from  on  high  against  this  malignant 


32  A   Queen  of  Hearts 

arch-enemy,  who  was  menacing  with  apparent 
success  my  weak  and  easily-tempted  soul,  I  was 
wrought  to  such  a  pitch  of  agonized  alarm  and 
repentance  that  my  cry  for  aid  and  deliverance  far 
outvoiced  his,  and  I  rose  from  my  petitions  in  a 
state  of  that  false  religious  fervor  which  is  bred  of 
pure  nervous  excitability. 

This  continued  many  days.  My  guardian,  to 
whom  it  was  a  sign  of  the  inflowing  of  Grace,  fos- 
tered and  encouraged  it.  My  name  was  withdrawn 
from  the  academy  books,  and  my  mental  yielded 
to  my  spiritual  cultivation.  Mr.  Mavis  gave  me 
employment  in  his  study  and  kept  me  largely  in 
his  own  society,  and  the  novelty  of  my  new  con- 
dition of  spiritual  exaltation  for  a  time  satisfied 
my  craving  for  excitement.  I  went  to  prayer- 
meetings  ;  I  began  a  course  of  district-visiting ;  I 
read  my  Bible  for  the  first  time  with  interest.  In 
fact,  I  "got  religion"  after  the  most  approved 
fashion. 

And  one  day  I  had  my  reward.  I  was  sitting 
by  my  guardian's  side  in  his  study,  in  the  late 
twilight  of  a  June  afternoon.  We  were  engaged 
in  covering  new  hymn-books  for  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  every  now  and  again  he  would  read 
one  of  the  hymns  aloud,  in  the  full,  resonant,  and 
impressive  voice  to  which  was  due  much  of  his 
power  in  revival.  Since  my  conversion,  as  he 
chose  to  call  the  artificial  tension  at  which  I  had 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  33 

recently  been  living,  his  manner  towards  me  had 
greatly  changed.  Whereas  he  had  formerly  treated 
me  with  mere  distant  consideration,  he  was  now 
almost  genial  in  his  bearing,  as  nearly  tender  and 
affectionate,  I  think,  as  he  was  capable  of  being. 
The  windows  were  open ;  the  evening  hour  was 
stealing  on ;  the  atmosphere  of  the  room  was  soft, 
warm,  and  sensuous  with  the  appealing  fragrance 
of  the  clustering  roses  which  rioted  over  the  house 
at  will.  I  was  in  a  yielding,  pliant,  susceptible 
mood.  The  high  potency  of  religious  enthusiasm 
united  with  the  insidious  charm  of  the  hour,  and 
the  place  made  me  an  easy  victim  to  a  suggestion 
which  coupled  the  service  of  God  with  a  sentimen- 
tal self-surrender. 

Mr.  Mavis  unfolded  to  me  then  a  plan  for  my 
future  which,  he  told  me,  had  had  its  conception 
in  that  hour  when  he  had  contended  with  the  Lord 
that  He  should  not  abandon  me  to  the  devil.  This 
precious  provision  for  my  welfare  consisted  in 
making  me  his  wife.  He  dwelt  little  upon  the 
subject  of  love,  affecting  to  regard  that  as  a  side 
issue,  although  I  honestly  believe  that  what  poor 
makeshift  for  passion  there  was  in  his  flinty  nature 
had  sprung  into  life  for  me  when  his  glance  fell 
upon  my  disordered  beauty  amid  the  dust  and 
debris  of  Grove's  homely  old  attic. 

His  proposal,  however,  was  calm,  measured, 
unimpassioned.  He  stated  the  many  advantages 

3 


34  A   Queen  of  Hearts 

which  would  accrue  to  my  moral  well-being  by  an 
alliance  with  one  who  was  by  Divine  ordinance  a 
shepherd  of  men,  and,  although  I  cannot  now,  in 
rehearsing  to  myself  the  terms  and  manner  of  his 
offer,  recall  any  special  eloquence  or  emphasis  that 
wrought  upon  me,  yet  I  well  remember  that  I  was 
profoundly  moved  and  agitated  by  his  words. 

A  more  striking  case  of  taking  a  tide  at  its  flood 
was  never  known.  In  a  fervor  of  gratitude  and 
self-humiliation  I  sank  upon  my  knees  and  pressed 
my  lips  to  his  thin  white  hand.  I  professed  my- 
self unworthy  of  his  consideration,  glorified  by  his 
choice,  humbled  by  his  goodness.  I  made  sacrifice 
upon  the  altar  of  holy  zeal  and  purpose  of  all  my 
poor  little  vanities  and  youthful  inclinations.  I 
pledged  myself  to  keep  lighted,  upon  all  the  pin- 
nacles of  my  soul,  the  fire  of  sanctity  which  I 
honestly  believed  had  burned  the  chaff  of  worldli- 
ness  from  the  good  seed  of  righteousness  within 
me.  In  a  word,  I  accepted  the  honor  done  me 
with  such  exaggeration  and  high-flown  expressions 
as  should  have  aroused  in  him  a  suspicion  as  to 
their  genuineness  and  a  foreboding  of  my  posses- 
sion ol  histrionic  gifts. 

We  were  married  some  three  months  later, 
during  which  my  enthusiasm,  kept  alive  by  the 
flattering  regard  and  interest  bestowed  upon  me 
by  the  Sheraton  folk,  and  fed  by  the  unusual 
excitement  consequent  upon  the  modest  prepara- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  35 

tions  for  my  wedding,  continued  to  burn.  Scarcely 
a  month  had  passed  after  the  marriage  ceremony 
was  performed,  when  it  was  a  handful  of  dust  in 
my  grasp. 

I  have  no  intention  of  giving  heed  to  the  dreary 
interval  which  dragged  itself  out  between  my  cap- 
ture and  enfranchisement.  It  makes  my  heart  sick 
with  pity,  not  for  myself, — I,  gay  butterfly  of  an 
enchanted  realm,  am  surely  nothing  akin  to  that 
poor  grub, — but  for  that  wretched,  miserable,  des- 
olate little  Methodist  house-wife,  eating  her  heart 
out  for  want  of  palatable  food,  striking  in  impotent 
effort  the  wings  of  her  poor,  little,  aesthetic,  artis- 
tic longings  against  the  blank  walls  of  her  envi- 
ronment. 

And  when  my  baby  came,  it  was  no  better.  She 
was  a  sickly,  puny  infant,  whose  birth  awakened  no 
maternal  instinct  within  me.  Perhaps,  had  she 
been  beautiful  and  attractive,  thus  making  appeal 
to  those  sensibilities  which  so  strongly  lead  my 
nature,  I  might  have  held  her  in  different  esteem. 
As  it  was,  I  neither  nourished  nor  tended  her. 
Nature  forbade  the  first,  and  my  husband,  who 
had  grown  distrustful  of  me  in  all  ways  since  I 
had  wearied  in  spiritual  well-doing,  prohibited  the 
last. 

The  child  fretted  if  I  took  her,  and  her  cries 
were  like  physical  pain  to  me.  She  was  ever 
ailing,  and  I,  endowed  with  the  vitality  of  a  strong 


36  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

and  healthy  woman,  had  no  personal  knowledge  of 
suffering  to  awaken  my  sympathy  for  her  pangs. 
And  so  things  went  on  drearily,  monotonously, 
hopelessly  for  me  until  I  had  been  thirteen  months 
a  wife  and  three  months  a  mother.  Then  Fate 
turned  over  a  new  leaf  in  my  book  of  Life. 

The  Woman's  Relief  Corps  of  Sheraton  did  me 
the  honor  of  requesting  me  to  go  to  New  York  to 
select  a  new  piano  for  their  organization.  I  had 
some  local  fame  as  a  musician  and  occupied  the 
post  of  organist  in  my  husband's  church,  and  so 
they  chose  me  to  represent  them.  Shall  I  ever 
forget  the  length  of  that  twenty-four  hours  which 
Mr.  Mavis  required  to  consider  the  question  of  my 
going  ?  I  went  nearly  mad  between  hope  and  fear. 
It  seemed  to  me  too  improbable  for  realization, 
the  prospect  of  actually  beholding  that  El  Dorado 
of  my  dreams. 

And  the  hour  when  I  learned  that  my  husband 
had  yielded, — that,  in  consideration  of  the  fact  that 
I  was  to  be  personally  conducted  by  Deacon 
Rogers,  who  was  journeying  to  the  metropolis 
on  some  business  of  his  own,  I  was  to  be  al- 
lowed to  accomplish  my  dearest  wish, — shall  I 
ever  forget  the  joy,  the  elation  of  that  moment  ? 
Until  the  instant  of  departure  came  I  was  in  a 
condition  of  constant  apprehension.  Something 
would  occur,  I  felt  sure,  to  prevent  the  journey. 
It  would  occupy  about  twelve  hours.  Leaving 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  37 

Sheraton  at  eight  in  the  morning,  we  should  reach 
New  York  at  about  eleven.  Returning,  we  should 
arrive  at  Sheraton  a  little  after  seven  in  the 
evening. 

It  was  arranged  the  day  before  that  I  was  to 
meet  the  deacon  at  the  station  a  little  before  the 
hour  for  starting,  and  it  was  my  husband's  inten- 
tion to  accompany  me  thither  and  place  me  in 
charge  of  my  guide  and  protector.  As  it  hap- 
pened, however,  Mr.  Mavis  was  sent  for  at  day- 
break to  attend  a  dying  parishioner,  and  with 
many  final  injunctions  and  adjurations  to  me  he 
left  the  parsonage,  assuring  me  that  he  should 
make  every  effort  to  return  in  time  to  see  me  off. 

Here  was  the  first  gratuity  offered  me  by  Fate 
that  lucky  day.  For  I  still  and  always  shall  main- 
tain that  the  day  I  turned  my  back  forever  on 
Sheraton,  my  cage  and  prison,  was  a  beneficent 
one  for  me. 

If,  as  my  husband  stooped  that  I  might  imprint 
a  chaste  salute  upon  his  cheek,  there  had  been  one 
to  whisper  in  my  ear,  "  This  shall  be  the  last  time 
you  ever  embrace  him" ;  if,  as  he  departed  from  me 
and  I  watched  with  careless  eyes  his  retreating 
figure,  I  had  had  assurance  that  never  again  should 
I  lay  eyes  upon  him,  would  my  kiss  have  gained 
in  warmth  or  fervor  ?  Would  my  eyes  have  grown 
less  indifferent  and  more  tender  for  the  knowledge  ? 
No,  I  think  not. 


38  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

Good,  admirable,  conscientious  man  that  he  was, 
there  was  nothing  in  James  Mavis  to  arouse  even 
a  shadow  of  love  or  personal  devotion  in  a 
woman's  soul.  He  never  called  forth  a  spark  of 
affection  from  me ;  nor  do  I  believe  that  his  passion 
for  me  was  more  than  a  flash  in  the  pan,  a  brief 
sign  that,  improbable  as  it  seemed,  he  was  really 
built  after  the  fashion  of  less  perfect  humanity. 

Scruples  I  have  had,  many  and  frequent,  bitter 
and  remorseful,  concerning  the  step  I  took  that 
day ;  not  one  of  these,  however,  was  instigated  by 
the  thought  that  my  desertion  personally  afflicted 
the  husband  I  left  behind  me.  Towards  my  child 
my  conduct  was  wholly  culpable.  Excuse  for  it, 
I  have  none;  it  was  wicked,  abominable,  and 
altogether  unbecoming  a  woman,  even  a  girl  (for 
more  I  was  not)  with  a  heart  in  her  breast.  But  I 
have  made  my  peace  with  her.  I  have  sought 
and  obtained  full  pardon  for  my  offence.  I  feel 
satisfied  that  I  have  made  full  expiation  of  my 
fault  towards  Lisa,  God  be  thanked!  she  was 
early  saved  the  experience  that  warped  my  ideas 
of  right  and  wrong.  Yet  to  her  gentler,  less 
ardent  nature  the  test  would  have  been  scarcely 
so  severe.  The  stagnation  of  Sheraton  would  not 
have  wrought  her  to  open  rebellion  as  it  did  me. 
How  little  I  thought  as  I  kissed  her  good-by  that 
day,  she  struggling  the  while  weakly  against  the 
caress  and  fisticuffing  me  with  her  tiny  hands, 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  39 

that  I  should  one  day  feel  her  the  crowning  joy  of 
my  life ! 

My  breakfast  was  finished  by  seven  o'clock,  and 
by  half-past  I  was  on  my  way  to  the  station,  un- 
quiet and  fearful  still  lest  accident  mar  my  prog- 
ress. Quarter  of  eight  passed,  five  minutes  more, 
and  it  came  to  be  three  minutes  of  the  hour  and  my 
escort  had  not  appeared.  The  train  drew  into  the 
station,  and  as  it  stopped  I  saw  the  deacon  coming 
down  the  hill  as  fast  as  his  burly  frame  would 
permit.  He  was  waving  aloft  a  huge  red  hand- 
kerchief and  shouting  to  the  conductor  to  wait. 

"  Will  you  hold  the  train  for  him  ?"  I  asked  a 
brakeman,  my  heart  throbbing  violently  between 
longing  and  despair.  The  man  nodded  and  passed 
on  to  speak  to  the  station-master. 

I  glanced  at  the  train,  at  the  puffing,  panting, 
impatient  engine,  which  seemed  too  mighty  a 
monster  to  be  restrained  for  the  convenience  of  a 
mere  mortal.  I  looked  back  at  the  heavy  figure  of 
the  deacon,  whose  feet  seemed  to  me  shod  with  lead. 

"  Will  he  never  get  here  ?"  I  thought,  and  then 
an  idea  came  to  me.  I  would  save  time  by  getting 
aboard.  And,  with  that  intent,  I  placed  my  foot 
on  the  steps  and,  unobserved,  mounted  the  car. 

I  had  scarcely  reached  the  platform  when  I 
heard  the  conductor's  warning  cry  announcing 
departure.  I  turned  at  once  to  wave  to  the 
deacon.  He  was  no  longer  visible.  Secure  in 


40  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

the  assurance  that  he  must  have  seen  me,  and 
believing  that  he  had  taken  the  car  nearest  at 
hand  and  would  soon  come  through  the  train  to 
me,  I  opened  the  door  and  entered  the  car. 

It  was  about  two-thirds  full,  and  I  noticed,  soon 
after  seating  myself,  that  the  passengers  seemed 
well  acquainted  with  each  other,  and  that  the  con- 
versation was  general  and  voluble.  I  had  heard 
of  parties,  and  at  once  concluded  that  I  had 
chanced  upon  one  of  these.  Feeling  somewhat 
constrained  and  embarrassed  by  the  isolation  of  my 
position  among  them,  I  sat  stiff  and  awkward,  wish- 
ing the  deacon  would  appear,  and  occupying  myself 
with  furtive  observation  of  my  fellow-travellers. 

They  looked,  to  my  inexperienced  eyes,  an  un- 
usual and  somewhat  motley  set,  conspicuous  by  a 
certain  latitude  of  costume  and  adornment  that 
almost  bordered  upon  eccentricity.  They  bore  a 
general  resemblance  to  each  other;  not  that  of 
feature  or  lineament,  but  of  manner,  action,  and 
word.  The  likeness  was  a  professional,  not  a 
family  one. 

I  found  myself  soon  seduced  from  personal  per- 
plexities by  the  gayety  and  merriment  that  were 
rife  among  them.  The  air  of  freedom  and  uncon- 
straint,  which  seemed  their  native  and  accustomed 
atmosphere,  charmed  and  fascinated  me.  They 
were  a  new  order  of  beings  in  my  universe,  and  I 
forgot  everything  in  the  interest  of  watching  them. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  41 

So  intense  was  my  preoccupation  that  I  failed 
to  note  the  fact  that  they  were  equally  concerned 
in  me.  It  would  have  been  impossible  for  me  to 
have  imagined  that  I,  dull  little  country-woman 
that  I  felt  myself  to  be,  could  possess  any  power 
of  attraction  for  these  bright  and  brilliant  butter- 
flies. I  had  for  the  nonce  forgotten — only  for  the 
nonce;  usually  my  vanity  keeps  the  fact  largely 
before  my  self-consciousness — that  I  was  endowed 
with  no  niggardly  supply  of  that  powerful  attribute 
which  arouses  at  least  the  attention  of  every  mortal 
who  confronts  it. 

I  know  now,  if  I  did  not  heed  it  then,  that 
among  that  more  or  less  attractive  group  of  men 
and  women,  advantaged  according  to  their  taste 
by  all  the  extraneous  accessories  of  art  and 
fashion,  not  one  was  there  who  could  awaken  as 
great  interest  and  admiration  in  the  casual  ob- 
server as  the  ill-dressed,  uncouthly  adorned,  shabby 
girl  of  nineteen,  who  sat  vicariously  enjoying  their 
mirth  and  jollity.  I  recognize  the  fact  now,  and 
understand  why  they  noticed  me ;  but  then  I  was 
less  cognizant  of  the  power  of  beauty,  and  was 
surprised  at  the  effect  it  produced.  For,  presently, 
as  I  regarded  them  with  alert  eyes,  a  stout,  good- 
natured-looking  woman  of  middle  age  rose  from 
her  seat  and  approached  me. 

"  It  seems  a  pity  that  you  should  be  sitting  here 
by  yourself,  my  dear,"  she  remarked,  with  a 


42  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

pleasant  smile.  "  I  think  you  have  probably 
made  a  mistake  in  the  car,  but  it  is  of  no  conse- 
quence. This  is  Mr.  Greeley's  private  car.  You 
know  who  he  is,  of  course, — the  manager  of  the 
Transcontinental  Burlesque  and  Variety  Com- 
pany. That  is  he,  the  gentleman  with  the  florid 
complexion  and  glasses.  He  wishes  me  to  tell 
you  that  the  car  is  quite  at  your  service,  and  to 
ask  you  if  you  would  not  find  it  pleasanter  to  join 
us  than  to  sit  here  all  alone  ?" 

She  had  an  agreeable,  pleasant  manner  and  a 
winning  smile.  There  was  a  homely  geniality 
about  her  that  made  her  seem  an  old  friend.  And 
her  offer !  To  introduce  me  to  that  class  of  beings 
who  had  always  seemed  to  me  little  lower  than 
gods  and  goddesses !  To  let  me  make  actual  ac- 
quaintance with  those  denizens  of  the  happiest 
sphere  open  to  mortals !  Through  accident  I  was 
to  be  permitted  a  glimpse  of  that  dazzling,  brill- 
iant world  which  had  charmed  my  father  back  to 
itself  from  his  allegiance  to  wife  and  duty.  The 
Land  of  Beulah  opened  before  me  as  she  spoke ;  I 
had  visions  of  the  fair  and  long-coveted  prospect 
of  incident  and  adventure.  As  she  concluded,  I 
hastily  decided  that  I  could  not  afford  to  neglect 
any  opportunity  offered  me  by  this  never-to-be- 
repeated  dozen  of  hours,  and  so  shook  hands  with 
Occasion  and  accepted  her  invitation. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE  company  and  its  manager  received  me 
among  them  with  a  cordiality  and  ease  which  had 
an  immediate  effect  upon  my  diffidence.  As  I 
look  back  upon  them  I  believe  the  men  and 
women  to  have  been  a  sorry  lot,  but  then  I  was 
less  discriminating,  and  they  seemed  to  me,  one 
and  all,  people  of  a  "  faery  vision  .  .  .  gay  crea- 
tures of  the  element,  that  in  the  colors  of  the  rain- 
bow lived." 

Individually,  with  the  exception  of  the  manager 
and  his  wife,  the  woman  who  had  accosted  me  and 
to  whom  later  on  I  became  warmly  attached,  they 
played  no  part  of  consequence  in  my  life.  It  is 
needless  to  describe  them.  But,  collectively,  they 
won  me  wholly  from  my  past  and  created  for  me 
a  new  future  of  such  glorious  promise  that  I  was 
blinded  to  the  path  of  duty,  which  clearly  led  in 
an  opposite  direction.  It  was  an  easy  matter  for 
them  to  draw  from  me  the  simple,  petty  details  of 
my  short  existence.  They  flattered  me  by  their 
interest  and  obvious  admiration.  They  pitied  and 
commiserated  me  openly ;  animadverted  upon  the 
fact  of  my  early  marriage  and  blighted  career; 
blamed  my  husband  for  having  taken  advantage 

43 


44  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

of  my  youth  and  inexperience;  suggested  what 
possibilities  of  fame  and  fortune  might  have  been 
realized  by  my  face  and  figure ;  and  when  I  spoke 
of  my  native  talent  for  dancing,  their  indignation 
apparently  knew  no  bounds. 

I  do  not  think  they  were  guying  me.  I  believe 
that  something  in  me  really  attracted  and  inter- 
ested them.  They  were  weary  of  travelling  and 
sated  with  each  other's  society ;  I  was  a  welcome 
novelty  to  them,  and  it  amused  them  to  turn  me 
inside  out  like  an  old  glove. 

By  the  time  we  reached  New  York  I  was  fairly 
intoxicated.  Never  in  my  whole  nineteen  years 
had  I  known  three  hours  so  ecstatic  as  those. 
As  we  ran  into  the  Grand  Union,  a  terrible  feeling 
of  homesickness  swept  over  me.  The  thought  of 
Deacon  Rogers  appalled  me ;  the  prospect  of  part- 
ing forever  with  these  warm-hearted  and  congenial 
associates  was  unbearable.  The  idea  of  allowing 
them  to  continue  on  their  joyous  course  while  I 
went  back  to  those  awful  hours  of  dulness  which 
must  round  out  my  life  gripped  my  heart  until  I 
thought  it  would  burst. 

The  Greeleys  had  volunteered  to  discover  my 
delinquent  escort  for  me  and  place  me  in  his  care. 
I  think  both  may  have  meant  to  do  so ;  I  am  sure 
she  did.  But  of  the  intention  of  the  manager  of 
the  Transcontinental  Burlesque  and  Variety  Com- 
pany, I  have  always  been  somewhat  suspicious. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  45 

A  theatrical  manager,  however  honest,  is  never 
quite  to  be  relied  upon  when  there  is  a  question 
of  securing  a  fresh  attraction.  Greeley  had  been 
told  that  I  could  dance ;  he  had  seen  that  I  was 
beautiful.  Whether  he  exerted  his  abilities  to  the 
utmost  to  find  my  protector,  I  cannot  say.  At  all 
events,  he  was  unsuccessful  in  his  search. 

It  might  well  have  been  a  matter  of  some  diffi- 
culty to  discover  the  deacon.  Very  probably, 
intent  upon  catching  the  train,  he  had  forgotten 
me  at  the  time  of  departure,  and,  if  he  had  not 
seen  me  standing  upon  the  car-platform,  a  fruitless 
search  through  the  rest  of  the  train  would  have 
convinced  him  that  I  had  remained  behind.  The 
result  of  my  failure  to  find  him  was  that  my  new- 
made  friends  insisted  upon  taking  me  to  their 
hotel  until  I  should  decide  what  I  had  best  do.  I 
had  the  money  for  the  piano  safely  bestowed  in 
the  bosom  of  my  gown,  and  the  Greeleys  offered 
their  services  to  cicerone  me  about  my  business. 

The  noise,  movement,  animation  of  the  city 
delighted  me.  My  whole  being  swam  buoyantly 
as  in  a  congenial  element.  The  hotel,  a  second- 
rate  one,  even  in  its  very  confusion  and  bustle  at- 
tracted my  fancy.  We  lunched,  and  the  savory 
and  delicate  dishes,  so  unlike  my  usual  coarse 
fare,  appealed  insidiously  to  my  palate.  While 
we  sat  at  luncheon  the  Greeleys  were  besieged  by 
friends,  regular  habitues  of  the  cafe  ;  all  gay,  alert, 


46  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

debonnaire.  There  was  a  renewal  of  the  laughter, 
vivacity,  and  merriment  which  had  so  infected  me 
on  the  journey.  I  was  presented  casually  to  some 
of  these  strangers,  and  the  glances  they  bestowed 
upon  me  flattered  me  much. 

A  theatrical  manager  is  a  busy  man.  The  Trans- 
continental Company  was  to  open  in  New  York 
that  night,  and  there  was  much  detail  requiring 
Mr.  Greeley's  personal  attention.  After  luncheon 
he  put  his  wife  and  me  into  a  cab,  suggesting  that 
we  drive  to  the  piano  establishment,  accomplish 
our  purpose  there,  and  then  meet  him  at  the 
theatre,  where  I  might  have  a  glimpse  of  the 
rehearsal  which  would  at  that  time  be  in  progress. 

I  was  to  take  the  five  o'clock  train  back  to 
Sheraton.  That  fact  was  never  for  a  moment 
absent  from  the  distracting  happiness  I  was  enjoy- 
ing. How  could  I  go  back?  How  could  I — 
how  could  I  ? 

In  the  selection  of  a  piano,  Mrs.  Greeley — Kate, 
as  I  came  to  call  her  later — was  of  infinite  value 
to  me.  She  was  a  natural  musician  with  an 
accurate  ear,  and  the  experience  in  weighing  the 
merits  of  an  instrument  which  I  wholly  lacked. 
Besides  which  she  was  used  to  business  dealings 
and  to  securing  the  full  value  of  her  money.  But 
it  took  longer  to  conclude  the  transaction  than  we 
had  anticipated.  By  the  time  the  piano  was  paid 
for,  the  address  carefully  written  out,  and  we  had 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  47 

fairly  quitted  the  establishment,  it  was  well  on 
towards  four  o'clock.  And  my  train  went  at  five ! 

My  companion,  to  whom  I  had  already  con- 
ceived an  attachment,  turned  doubtfully  to  me. 

"  Mr.  Greeley  is  expecting  us,"  she  said ;  "  but 
you  can  only  have  a  few  minutes  at  the  theatre. 
Is  it  worth  while  to  go  there  ?" 

My  heart  turned  cold  with  disappointment. 
What!  lose  this  only  chance  of  entering  those 
fairy  realms  of  mimic  life  towards  which  my 
mental  gaze  had  strained  so  hungrily  and  long  1 
Impossible !  Kate  noted  the  look  of  chagrin  on 
my  face. 

"  You  really  want  to  go  ?"  she  continued.  "  Well, 
we  will,  then." 

And  we  went.  But  we  were  too  late  in  arriving. 
Rehearsal  was  just  over,  and  the  wings  were  full 
of  the  people  who  had  been  my  travelling  com- 
panions, chatting,  laughing,  guying  each  other,  as 
is  their  wont.  Mr.  Greeley  came  to  meet  us  with 
a  cloud  on  his  brow.  Evidently  something  had 
gone  wrong. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  asked  his  wife. 

"  Nita  Conquest  turned  her  foot  coming  to  the 
theatre  and  has  had  to  go  home.  She  cannot  do 
her  dance  to-night,  and  nothing  makes  so  bad  an 
impression  on  a  first-night  audience  as  an  apology." 

He  paid  no  attention  to  me  or  to  my  chagrin. 
His  mind  was  wholly  engrossed  with  managerial 


48  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

difficulties,  in  extricating  himself  from  which,  as  I 
afterwards  discovered,  it  was  his  wont  to  enlist 
the  co-operation  of  his  able  and  practical  wife. 

"  Ts,  ts,  ts !"  was  this  lady's  sympathetic  re- 
joinder. "That  is  bad,  indeed.  A  worse  mis- 
fortune could  scarcely  have  happened.  Let  me 
see "  And  she  went  off  into  a  fit  of  rumina- 
tive abstraction,  so  engrossing  and  divergent  from 
me  and  my  needs  that  I  had  ample  leisure  to  fully 
digest  my  discomfiture  at  missing  the  performance 
I  had  so  eagerly  anticipated, — an  occasion  which 
would  probably  never  again  be  offered  me. 

Meanwhile  the  hurrying,  precious  moments  sped 
by.  The  groups  in  the  wings  dispersed  and  the 
musicians  prepared  to  depart.  I  stood  irresolute 
and  uncertain  amid  the  shadows  of  the  scenes, 
knowing  that  I  ought  to  be  on  my  way  to  the 
station,  but  reluctant  to  intrude  my  affairs  upon 
the  preoccupation  of  those  whose  interest  in  me 
was  so  recent,  and  upon  whom  I  had  not  the 
shadow  of  a  legitimate  claim. 

And  all  the  time  at  the  bottom  of  my  soul 
there  lurked  that  deadly  sickness  created  by  the 
thought  of  returning  to  my  home  and  the  color- 
less routine  of  my  existence ;  and  there  was,  also, 
I  must  needs  confess,  slowly  germinating  the  hope 
that  circumstances  might  conspire  to  cause  me  to 
lose  my  train  and  remain  overnight  in  Paradise. 
Presently  Kate  broke  the  silence. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  49 

"  I  can't  see  any  way  out  of  it,"  she  said.  "  Of 
course  I  could  do  a  turn  to  fill  in,  but  New  York 
audiences  have  had  a  good  deal  of  me,  while  Nita 
was  a  fresh  attraction.  Are  you  sure  she  isn't 
playing  off"?  I  might  go  and  see  if  she  is  really 
laid  up.  What  time  is  it  ?  Why,  good  gracious !" 
she  broke  off,  "  here's  this  child  and  her  train  !  I 
had  forgotten  all  about  her.  What  time  is  it, 
Geof,  quick." 

The  stage  was  tolerably  dark,  but  I  could  see  a 
sudden  light  fire  Greeley's  gloomy  eyes  as  I  was  thus 
unexpectedly  recalled  to  his  memory.  He  turned 
quickly  and  surveyed  me  deliberately.  His  gaze 
travelled  appraisingly  over  me  from  head  to  foot, 
increasing  in  eagerness  and  satisfaction  as  it  pro- 
gressed. The  while  he  was  slowly  pulling  a  massive 
gold  watch  from  his  vest-pocket. 

"  The  train  goes  at  five,  doesn't  it  ?"  asked  he, 
abstractedly. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  replied  his  wife,  hurriedly,  and  I 
echoed  the  affirmative  in  a  less  impetuous  fashion. 

"  Whew !  this  is  too  bad !"  he  exclaimed.  "  She 
has  lost  it.  She  never  could  get  up  to  the  station 
in  ten  minutes.  There  is  no  use  in  trying  it. 
Why  didn't  you  remember  her,  Kate  ?" 

And  so  Fate  assisted  by  Geoffrey  Greeley 
turned  over  the  leaf  and  opened  Part  Two  in  my 
history.  All  the  little  apparently  unimportant 
accidents  which  together  worked  the  wide  separa- 


50  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

tion  between  Past  and  Present  fell  in  so  naturally 
and  harmoniously,  one  failed  at  the  time  to  con- 
sider their  significance. 

I  had  no  thought  of  any  ulterior  motive  in  his 
mind,  no  suspicion  of  the  inspiration  which  had 
suddenly  awakened  new  hope  in  his  breast,  when, 
after  a  few  kind  words  of  reassurance  as  to  my 
predicament,  Mr.  Greeley  became  all  attention  to 
me  and  all  alertness  regarding  my  favorable  im- 
pression with  my  surroundings.  When  he  called 
his  wife  aside  and  held  a  short,  eager  colloquy 
with  her;  when  he  ordered  the  gasmen  to  turn 
on  the  lights,  and  summoned  what  musicians  yet 
remained  back  to  their  places ;  when  he  insisted 
that  Kate  and  I  should  lay  aside  our  wraps  lest 
we  should  catch  cold  on  going  out,  I,  ingenuous 
little  country-girl,  never  suspected  that  the  trouble 
he  professed  to  be  taking  solely  for  my  pleasure 
was,  in  reality,  undertaken  purely  in  furtherance 
of  his  new  and  wholly  selfish  design. 

The  leader  of  the  orchestra  had  gone ;  there 
was  but  a  handful  of  musicians  left ;  but  Greeley 
insisted  that  I  should  hear  some  portions  of  the 
opera  in  which  his  company  had  attained  such 
success,  and  himself  took  the  baton.  Seats  were 
placed  for  his  wife  and  myself  on  the  stage,  and  as 
I  was  somewhat  disappointed  in  the  appearance  of 
the  theatre,  bare  and  denuded  as  it  looked  without 
the  audience  which  is  the  proper  furnishing  of  a 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  5 1 

place  of  entertainment,  I  closed  my  eyes  and 
leaned  back,  letting  the  delicious  strains  of  the 
first  orchestra  I  had  ever  heard  fill  my  soul  with 
ecstasy. 

I  think  that  susceptibility  to  music,  to  which  I 
have  before  alluded,  is  a  temperamental  idiosyn- 
crasy peculiar  to  myself.  It  is  a  common  thing  to 
love  harmony;  it  is  by  no  means  a  common 
thing  to  become  possessed  of  it  as  I  did.  It  has 
always  been  my  Pied  Piper,  and  I  am  sensitive  to 
its  influence  to  a  dangerous  degree.  I  had  dwelt 
upon  this  singular  sensibility  when  discoursing  of 
myself  to  my  new  acquaintances,  and  I  do  not 
doubt  that  Greeley's  professional  instinct  had  kept 
it  before  his  mind  and  suggested  his  making  use 
of  it  to  promote  his  scheme  on  the  present  occa- 
sion. 

He  had  selected  the  most  sensuous  portions  of 
the  score  for  my  edification,  and  directed  them  in 
such  a  manner  that  their  passion  appealed  to  my 
emotionalism  irresistibly.  By  degrees  the  melody 
entered  into  and  seized  me.  I  became  restless, 
uneasy,  feverish;  every  pulse  seemed  to  respond 
to  the  delicious  vibration  of  the  instruments.  All 
sorts  of  sensations  and  impulses  stirred  and  strove 
within  me.  My  nerves  had  been  powerfully 
wrought  upon  by  the  unaccustomed  experiences 
of  the  day.;  my  whole  being  was  strung  to  a 
tension  it  had  never  reached  before.  I  could  feel 


52  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

the  old  ecstasy  possess  and  master  me.  I  grew 
unconscious  of  my  surroundings;  inconsiderate 
of  the  fact  that  it  behooved  me  among  these 
strangers  to  retain  strong  control  of  myself;  indif- 
ferent to  all  things  save  one,  that  Music  was  call- 
ing to  me  with  her  divine  voice  and  that  after  the 
fashion  of  her  summons  must  I  respond. 

That  burly,  fleshly,  coarse,  but  undeniably  sharp 
and  shrewd  man,  who  sat  before  me  in  the  conduc- 
tor's chair,  waved  a  wand  of  enchantment  over  my 
senses  and  played  upon  my  feelings  as  one  of  his 
musicians  played  upon  his  instrument.  I  was  in 
a  state  of  thrall  to  his  will.  I  wept,  I  smiled,  I 
sighed,  and  when  of  a  sudden  he  leaned  a  little 
forward  towards  the  stage  and  said  to  me,  in  a 
low,  imperative  tone  of  command,  "  Dance,"  the 
while  leading  his  men  through  the  seductive  meas- 
ures of  the  Copelia  ballet-music,  the  old  fervor 
and  madness,  the  passion  and  desire  which  found 
satisfaction  in  movement  alone  incited  me  hotly 
to  expression.  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  and,  before 
astonished  eyes  which,  whatever  may  have  been 
their  anticipation,  certainly  expected  nothing  so 
finished  as  my  performance,  I  danced  as  I  had 
danced  long  months  ago  to  the  sound  of  a  shoe- 
maker's riddle  in  a  dingy,  dirty  attic  in  a  humdrum 
country  town. 

I  do  not  know  how  long  I  danced.  Not  long, 
I  think,  however,  for  my  prompter  had  thought  of 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  53 

saving  me  for  a  more  profitable  occasion.  In  the 
first  moment  of  self-recollection  that  came  to  me 
I  saw  Kate  Greeley  rise  and  move  towards  her 
husband. 

"  Stop,  Geof ;  stop  !"  I  heard  her  say,  in  a  voice 
that  sounded  distant  and  far  away.  "It  is  beautiful, 
wonderful,  divine;  but  it  frightens  me  somehow. 
And,  besides,  she  will  be  quite  exhausted  after  all 
the  excitement  of  to-day.  I  am  afraid  for  her." 

And  then  the  spell  broke  and  I  came  to  myself. 
I  awoke  from  my  trance  to  find  myself  solicitously 
regarded  by  Mrs.  Greeley,  and  curiously  consid- 
ered by  the  men  in  the  orchestra.  There  was  a 
look  of  excitement  on  every  face ;  and  Greeley, 
who  was  climbing  up  over  the  foot-lights  by  the 
aid  of  a  stage-box,  was  in  a  state  of  wild  delight. 

"  Good  God !"  he  said  to  his  wife,  mopping  his 
brow  as  he  approached  us.  "  Think  what  it  would 
be  properly  dressed." 

The  good-natured  woman  had  thrown  her  arm 
about  me  and  was  leading  me  back  to  my  chair. 

"  Divine !"  she  answered.  "  Enchanting,  divine ! 
Oh,  it  took  my  breath  away!  Where  did  you 
learn  it,  child  ?" 

I  shook  my  head.  Reaction  had  set  in  and  I 
was  dull,  abashed,  and  speechless;  mortified  and 
ashamed,  yet  secretly  gratified  by  the  praise  of 
these  competent  critics.  Greeley  turned  upon  his 
wife  contemptuously. 


54  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

"  Learn  it,"  he  repeated,  "  learn  it !  Do  you  think 
such  motion  as  that  is  ever  acquired  ?  You  struck 
it  when  you  said  divine." 

We  went  back  to  the  hotel,  and  Greeley  sent  a 
telegram  to  my  husband  informing  him  that  I  had 
lost  the  train,  but  that  I  was  with  friends,  whose 
name,  however,  he  did  not  give.  A  room  was 
secured  for  me,  and  I  was  bidden  lie  down  and 
rest  till  dinner-time,  for  Kate  had  promised  that 
she  would  take  me  in  the  evening  to  see  the 
Transcontinental  Company  in  its  professional  ca- 
pacity. 

What  a  tumult  my  mind  was  in  as  I  lay  in  the 
strange  chamber  and  sought  to  compose  myself! 
It  seemed  that  I  had  lived  a  lifetime  since  morning. 
Sheraton  was  a  thousand  miles  away ;  already  its 
inhabitants  seemed  ill-remembered  phantoms  of 
the  dead.  My  adaptability  must  have  been  very 
considerable,  for,  while  my  initiation  into  these 
new  scenes  was  accompanied  by  unwonted  exhila- 
ration and  excitement,  I  was  in  no  degree  confused 
or  confounded.  It  may  have  been  that  my  viva- 
cious nature  had  suddenly  come  into  its  own ;  that 
its  rightful  inheritance  had  been  unexpectedly 
bestowed  upon  it ;  that  all  the  straining  ambitions 
and  aspirations  within  me  which  circumstances 
had  discouraged  from  their  birth  had  found  the 
tension  that  had  so  long  restrained  them  at  last 
relaxed  and  themselves  congenially  environed.  A 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  55 

duck,  even  if  during  the  major  portion  of  its  life 
it  has  been  confined  in  a  coop,  does  not  require 
experience  to  accustom  it  to  water.  Suddenly 
immersed,  the  creature  finds  the  element  so  adapted 
to  its  instincts  that  for  the  first  time  it  feels  that  its 
birthright  has  become  realized.  And  so  it  was  with 
me. 

It  was  Byron,  I  think,  who  went  to  bed  one 
night  obscure  and  awoke  to  find  himself  famous. 
Something  of  the  sort  befell  me.  I  went  to  the 
theatre  that  night  absolutely  unknown  to  the 
world ;  the  next  day  all  New  York  rang  with  my 
praises.  I  left  the  hotel  at  half-past  seven,  a 
green,  countrified  little  Mme.  la  Cure ;  I  returned 
to  it  four  hours  later  the  favorite  danseuse  of  the 
fickle  public.  Was  ever  transition  more  rapid  or 
more  complete  ? 

I  need  not  relate  minutely  the  details  of  the 
transformation.  The  main  points  are  as  follows : 

The  house  was  a  brilliant  one.  The  Transcon- 
tinental Burlesque  and  Variety  Company  always 
called  forth  a  fashionable  audience.  Their  methods 
appealed  to  that  class  which  constantly  craves 
novelty  and  excitement.  We  sat  through  the  first 
act  in  a  box.  The  sight  of  the  gay  and  (to  my 
unsophisticated  eyes)  gorgeous  assemblage;  the 
charm  and  interest  of  the  acting;  the  exquisite 
melody  from  the  full  orchestra ;  the  entire  atmos- 
phere of  my  surroundings,  got  into  my  head  and 


56  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

mounted  to  my  brain.  By  degrees  the  dull  habit 
of  my  rural  training  fell  away  from  me.  I  glowed, 
thrilled,  throbbed  with  excitement.  Involuntarily 
my  feet  kept  time  with  the  music,  my  eyes  burned 
in  their  sockets,  and  my  heart  actually  ached  with 
a  wild  longing  to  be  one  of  those  tawdry  beings 
whose  happiness  it  was  to  amuse  the  idle  hour  of 
a  jaded  public.  Oh,  foolish  moth !  that  could  not 
see  that  the  flame  consumed  what  entered  within 
its  lustre ! 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  act,  and  after  several 
recalls  had  been  complied  with,  in  the  midst  of  a 
fresh  burst  of  applause,  Greeley  pushed  aside  the 
curtain  and  stepped  before  it.  As  soon  as  quiet 
fell  upon  the  house  he  announced  that,  although 
his  patrons  were  unaware  of  the  fact,  they  were 
that  evening  to  be  the  fortunate  beneficiaries  under 
the  old  adage,  "  It  is  an  ill  wind,"  etc.  He  went 
on  to  explain  that  Mme.  Conquest  had  literally 
fallen  ill  and  was  incapacitated  from  appearing,  but 
that  he  could  not  allow  a  first-night  audience  of 
the  great  metropolis  to  be  disappointed,  and  that, 
therefore,  he  had  concluded  to  sacrifice  his  own 
projects  and  allow  the  appearance,  for  one  night 
only,  of  Mademoiselle  Cleo,  a  danseuse  of  incom- 
parable merit  and  talent,  a  girl  who  was  yet  in  the 
hands  of  a  teacher,  who  had  become  so  enthu- 
siastic concerning  her  great  promise  as  to  have 
thrown  up  all  other  pupils  to  devote  herself  ex- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  57 

clusively  to  her  instruction.  It  had  been  their 
purpose  to  postpone  her  debut  for  another  season, 
but,  under  the  circumstances,  rather  than  fail  in 
his  engagements  to  so  distinguished,  etc.,  etc. 

I  remember  every  word  of  the  speech.  For 
some  unknown  reason,  not  because  I  dreamed  for 
an  instant  that  I  was  concerned  in  it,  it  impressed 
me.  I  think,  perhaps,  it  was  because  I  felt  vague 
envy  of  that  Cleo,  that  extraordinarily  fortunate 
girl  to  whom  so  brilliant  a  career  was  thus  sud- 
denly opened. 

After  that  Greeley  came  to  the  box.  There  was 
an  air  of  excitement  about  him  and  an  anxious 
look  in  his  eyes.  He  smiled  approvingly  as  he 
looked  at  me. 

"  Are  you  enjoying  it  ?"  he  remarked,  and  cast 
a  significant  glance  at  his  wife. 

"  Oh,  it  is  heaven !"  I  cried.  "  But  this  girl,  Mr. 
Greeley,  this  Cleo, — when  shall  I  see  her  ?" 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  if  you  wish  to.  Come  behind 
the  scenes  and  I  will  introduce  you  to  her." 

He  summoned  his  wife  with  a  movement  of  the 
head.  We  rose  and  passed  out,  leaving  fairy-land 
behind  us.  It  was  of  the  earth  earthy  as  far  as 
dirt  and  dust  and  freedom  from  glamour  were  con- 
cerned, the  region  into  which  we  passed.  But 
naught  of  disillusionment  did  my  soul  permit  that 
night.  They  led  me  to  a  dressing-room,  and  I 
looked  expectantly  about  for  the  girl  of  happier 


58  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

fate  than  mine.  She  was  not  present,  yet  this  was 
her  room,  they  told  me ;  and  there,  carefully  be- 
stowed upon  two  chairs,  was  an  exquisite  mass  of 
gold  and  white  tissue,  which,  they  said,  was  her 
costume.  I  wondered  that  she  did  not  appear,  for 
her  place  on  the  programme  was  after  the  present 
act,  and  I  took  advantage  of  her  absence  to  exam- 
ine and  reverently  touch,  with  covetous  fingers,  the 
shining,  diaphanous  web. 

Meanwhile  the  Greeleys  were  consulting  upon 
some  unknown  topic  apart.  Presently  my  atten- 
tion was  aroused  by  a  few  words  I  heard  Kate 
utter. 

"  You  go,"  she  said.  "  I  will  manage  it  alone. 
You  will  frighten,  perhaps  intimidate  her.  I  can 
win  her  to  it,  I  am  sure.  I  would  rather  you 
should  go.  I  am  quite  positive  I  can  do  it  by 
myself." 

He  muttered  some  reply;  apparently  he  was 
giving  her  some  instructions.  All  I  caught  was 
one  phrase :  "  I  shall  lead  myself."  Then  he  smiled 
and  nodded  to  me  and  left  the  room. 

I  could  hear  the  strains  of  the  orchestra  and  the 
voices  of  the  singers  in  the  distance.  There  was 
much  fitful  applause,  and  frequent  bursts  of  laugh- 
ter were  faintly  audible.  I  roamed  impatiently 
about  the  room,  wishing  the  dancer  would  come, 
for  I  was  eager  to  return  to  the  dazzling  audi- 
torium. Presently  Kate  approached  me.  My 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  59 

back  was  to  her,  and  as  I  turned  I  was  struck  by 
the  pallor  of  her  face. 

"  What  is  it,  Mrs.  Greeley  ?"  I  asked. 

"A  really  terrible  thing  has  happened  to  us," 
she  said,  "  and  we  are  in  a  most  dreadful  predica- 
ment. You  saw  that  Mr.  Greeley  and  I  were  dis- 
cussing something  just  now,  and  doubtless  you 
noticed  how  nervous  and  upset  he  was.  Well, 
this  is  the  trouble.  Just  after  making  his  announce- 
ment to  the  audience,  Geof  received  a  message 
from  Cleo's  master  saying  the  girl  is  already  over- 
come with  stage-fright  and  absolutely  refuses  to 
appear.  Geof  is  awfully  upset;  he  says  it  will 
ruin  our  engagement  here  if  he  has  to  go  out  and 
make  another  apology." 

I  looked  at  the  billowy  mass  of  tissue,  and  my 
lip  curled  contemptuously.  As  if  one  so  clad  and 
possessed  of  the  true  spirit  of  dancing  need  fear 
mere  humanity,  however  largely  congregated. 

"  What  a  poor  coward !"  I  exclaimed. 

"  You  would  not  be  afraid  ?"  There  was  a  cer- 
tain suppressed  eagerness  and  emphasis  in  her 
tone  which  gave  the  question  significance. 

"  I  ?"  I  started,  looked  searchingly  at  her,  read 
her  wishes,  forgot  who  and  what  I  was,  turned  my 
back  on  propriety,  decorum,  and  self-restraint,  and 
delivered  my  soul  over  to  the  keeping  of  my 
vanity.  I  began  to  tear  asunder  the  fastenings  of 
my  gown.  Rapidly,  Kate  aiding  me  with  the 


60  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

deftness  of  a  lady's  maid,  I  stripped  off  the  cocoon 
in  which  my  real  nature  had  so  long  lain  dormant, 
and  with  the  falling  away  of  my  homely  garments 
there  disappeared  also  the  shackles  which  had 
imprisoned  my  spirit.  A  few  quick  touches  let 
down  the  quantities  of  ruddy  hair  which  were 
allowed  to  fall  as  they  would  in  rich  profusion 
about  me,  and  then  the  airy,  voluminous  robes  of 
tissue  were  thrown  over  my  head.  The  costume 
was  not  that  of  a  ballet-girl ;  it  swathed  my  body 
from  neck  to  ankles  and  fell  about  me  like  a  white 
drift  of  summer  clouds  shot  through  with  sun- 
beams. Only  my  full  throat  was  exposed,  but  my 
arms  were  also  allowed  to  reveal  themselves  to  the 
shoulders,  as  the  drapery  fell  back  from  them 
when  I  danced. 

I  had  no  glimpse  of  myself  until  I  was  all  appar- 
elled, and  so  well  had  the  arch-conspirators  timed 
the  development  of  their  plot  that,  simultaneously 
with  my  .appearance  before  the  cheval-glass,  the 
anxious,  worried  face  of  Geoffrey  Greeley  looked 
in  at  the  door-way.  The  act  and  entr'acte  were 
over.  The  audience  were  already  anticipating 
Cleo's  appearance  with  their  applause.  But  a 
moment  was  available  for  the  inspection  of  that 
wonderful  image  the  mirror  gave  forth  to  three 
pairs  of  amazed  and  rapturous  eyes.  But  that 
moment  embraced  more  satisfaction  than  I  had 
felt  for  nineteen  years,  while  it  amply  sufficed  for 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  61 

the  quieting  of  the  managerial  scruples  which  had 
been  rife  in  the  breasts  of  my  companions. 

This  was  the  picture  the  mirror  framed.  I  re- 
member it  well.  It  impressed  me  deeply  and,  in 
a  measure,  impersonally,  for  it  was  as  one  regards 
a  long-dreamed-of  but  hitherto  unencountered  af- 
finity that  I  contemplated  the  vision  before  me.  A 
shape  of  early  womanhood,  its  gracious  curves  and 
outlines  artistically  suggested  by  the  fashion  of  its 
draperies,  seemed  starting  forth  into  the  room  from 
concealment  behind  the  glass.  Above  the  filmy 
mist  of  gossamer  that  shrouded  its  exquisite  pro- 
portions glowed  rapturously  an  eager,  ardent,  ra- 
diant face,  as  fair  and  lovely,  as  joyously  expectant 
and  reckless  of  consequences  as  that  of  Eve  with  the 
apple  at  her  lips.  Its  contour  was  a  perfect  oval ; 
its  skin  very  fair  and  underlaid  with  the  soft  pink  of 
a  Mermet  rose,  which,  beneath  the  eyes,  deepened 
upon  the  round  cheeks  as  excitement  provoked  it. 
A  pair  of  crimson  lips,  parting  in  ecstasy,  revealed 
a  row  of  white  and  even  teeth,  and  beneath  the 
straight,  firm  line  of  the  delicately  drawn  brows 
eyes  of  rare  brilliancy  burned  so  intensely  that  they 
seemed  almost  to  emit  sparks  from  their  luminous 
depths.  Parted  above  the  low,  broad  forehead  a 
rare  confusion  of  streaming  tresses  rippled  luxuri- 
antly away,  of  a  color  which  honesty  obliges  me  to 
confess  was  dangerously  ardent,  but  which,  I  was 
soon  to  discover,  the  world  held  to  be  golden. 


62  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

L  Allegro  was  the  sobriquet  bestowed  upon  me 
that  night  by  an  enthusiastic  journalist,  and  it 
seems  to  me  it  was  befitting.  I  think  I  may  easily 
have  suggested  to  one  familar  with  them  Milton's 
famous  lines, — 

"  Haste  thee,  Nymph,  and  bring  with  thee 
Jest,  and  youthful  jollity, 
Quips,  and  cranks,  and  wanton  wiles, 
Nods,  and  becks,  and  wreathed  smilesj 
Sport,  that  wrinkled  Care  derides, 
And  Laughter  holding  both  his  sides. 
Come,  and  trip  it  as  you  go 
On  the  light,  fantastic  toe.** 

I  well  recall  the  exultation  of  that  moment  and 
the  throb  of  gratified  vanity  with  which  I  heard 
Greeley  ejaculate  "  Ye  gods !"  I  noted  the  look 
exchanged  between  husband  and  wife,  and  shared 
proudly  its  confident  content.  I  observed  Kate 
motion  to  Greeley,  who  thereupon  hastily  with- 
drew, leaving  the  dressing-room  door  ajar.  Trans- 
fixed with  delight  in  my  own  image,  I  stood  yet  an 
instant  longer  quaffing  long  draughts  of  my  own 
fairness,  revelling  in  my  perfection  of  face  and  form 
for  the  first  time  adequately  set  forth. 

The  strains  from  the  orchestra  came  faintly  to 
my  ear,  rousing  the  spirit  of  movement  within  me. 
The  ecstasy  of  conscious  power,  bred  from  a  sud- 
denly acquired  knowledge  of  the  value  of  my  own 
beauty  and  talent,  caused  my  pulses  to  beat  yet 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  63 

faster  and  more  furiously.  Penetrated  by  the  en- 
ticing melody  from  without,  I  involuntarily  raised 
my  arms,  letting  the  angel-sleeves  fall  away  and 
expose  their  rounded  beauty,  and  clasped  my 
hands  behind  my  head ;  my  body  began  to  sway 
in  harmony  with  the  rhythmic  beat,  when  Kate 
laid  swift  hold  of  me  and  led  me  half-gliding, 
half-dancing  from  the  room. 

I  know  she  conducted  me  in  a  state  of  partial 
consciousness  to  a  position  in  the  wings,  whence  I 
could  distinguish  but  a  small  section  of  the  house. 
Stationed  here  she  bade  me  wait,  and  soon  I  felt 
constrained  by  a  glance,  and,  gazing  whither  I 
was  compelled,  I  found  Greeley,  who  was  leading 
the  orchestra,  looking  full  at  me  with  his  bulging 
eyes. 

The  air  was  sweet  and  sensuous  with  the  same 
delicious  strains  from  Copelia  to  which  I  had 
danced  in  the  morning.  Again,  insensibly,  they 
took  possession  of  me ;  I  felt  them  creep  into  my 
heart,  infest  my  pulses,  subdue  my  memory,  dom- 
inate my  being.  The  look  in  Greeley's  eyes  sud- 
denly became  an  invitation,  a  summons.  "  Come," 
it  said,  and  I  moved  forward  until  I  stood  fairly 
before  a  clamoring  public,  whom  I  scarcely  noted. 
"  Dance,"  it  commanded,  and  it  is  said  I  danced, 
for  of  my  performance  I  am  wholly  without 
recollection.  As  it  was  involuntary,  so  was  it 
unknown  of  me.  Not  till  the  curtain  fell  and 


64  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

the  music  ceased  did  I  recover  myself,  and  then  it 
t  was  but  again  to  lose  sensibility. 

For,  at  last,  the  events  of  the  day  conquering 
my  powers  of  resistance,  while  the  auditorium  was 
yet  ringing  with  plaudits  and  bravos  for  the  debu- 
tante whose  dancing  had  excited  the  wild  enthu- 
siasm of  the  multitude,  I,  overstrained,  spent,  and 
completely  exhausted,  dropped  like  a  dead  thing 
in  the  midst  of  the  congratulating  company,  and 
was  carried,  cold  and  inert,  to  the  green-room, 
where  kindly  hands  sought  to  relieve  and  restore 
me. 

Once  I  came  to,  I  was  hurried  home  by  Kate, 
who,  tactful  soul,  left  me  to  silence  and  my  own 
reflections.  These  were  not  wholly  the  delightful 
ruminations  of  gratified  vanity,  however,  for  an 
incident  occurred  just  as  we  were  getting  into  the 
carriage  that  gave  me  pause  in  my  exultation  and 
wrought  frigidly  upon  my  enthusiasm.  The  car- 
riage stood  well  beneath  a  street-lamp.  I  was 
about  to  enter  it  when  I  heard  a  voice  pronounce 
my  name.  Turning  quickly  I  discovered  standing 
close  beside  me  Deacon  Rogers  and  his  son,  who 
had  left  Sheraton  to  find  employment  in  New 
York. 

"Well,  Pauline,"  said  the  younger  man,  who 
had  been  my  school-companion,  "  in  the  name  of 
all  that's  mighty,  how  come  you  ever  to  do  this  ? 
Father  don't  believe  it's  you,  even  now." 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  65 

I  made  no  reply.  I  had  nothing  ready  to  say. 
For  one  usually  fertile  in  falsehood  I  was  wonder- 
fully at  naught.  My  glance  fell  on  the  old  man. 
His  face,  unlike  my  husband's,  was  a  genial  and 
gentle  one.  Its  look  of  honest  grief  and  distress 
moved  me  more  than  the  fact  of  my  identification 
had  done.  He  was  evidently  seriously  embarrassed 
and  shocked. 

"  When  did  you  come  up,  Mrs.  Mavis  ?"  he 
asked.  "  And  who  be  these  folks  ?" 

Mr.  Greeley  forestalled  my  answer.  He  had 
seen  how  startled  I  was  by  the  meeting,  and, 
having  succeeded  in  coaxing  the  fly  into  his  parlor, 
had  no  mind  to  allow  her  to  escape  through  neg- 
ligence in  guarding  its  exits.  He  stepped  boldly 
forward  now  and  accosted  Joe  Rogers. 

"You  have  made  some  singular  mistake,"  he 
said.  "  The  lady  has  no  acquaintance  with  you. 
She  is  under  engagement  to  me,  and  I  am  the 
manager  of  the  company  that  is  now  playing  at 
this  theatre."  He  turned  to  me.  "Allow  me, 
Mademoiselle  Cleo,"  he  continued,  and  offered  his 
hand  to  assist  me  into  the  vehicle. 

I  had  spoken  no  word  during  this  brief  inter- 
view, nor  did  I  contradict  this  false  statement. 
Bold  as  it  was,  however,  it  did  not  prevail  with 
either  of  the  men  who  had  known  me  from  my 
birth.  Joe  gave  a  scornful  little  laugh. 

"  Au  revoir,  Mademoiselle  Cleo,"  he  said,  iron- 
5 


66  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

ically.  "  If  I  won't  be  let  speak  to  you,  I  can 
see  you  all  the  same  any  time  as  I  care  to  spend 
the  money.  Wish  I  could  realize  on  all  the  times 
I  seen  you  in  my  life."  He  turned  scoffingly 
away.  But  the  dear  old  deacon,  in  whose  genuine 
solicitude  self-consideration  had  no  part,  pressed 
forward  and  thrust  his  hand  into  the  carriage- 
window. 

"  Mrs.  Mavis,  air  you  comin'  home  with  me 
to-morrer  mornin'  ?"  he  asked.  "  I  hope  yer  be, 
Polly,  I  hope  yer  be.  Where'll  I  come  to  fetch 
yer,  hey,  what  say  ?" 

But  the  straining  anxiety  and  urgency  of  his 
quavering  voice  were  rudely  broken  in  upon  by 
the  driver,  who  at  the  moment  started  up  his 
horses.  I  gave  a  little  cry.  I  had  suddenly  awak- 
ened from  my  long  silence. 

"  Oh,  wait !"  I  said,  laying  a  restraining  hand  on 
Greeley's  arm.  "Wait  a  moment.  I  am  going 
home  with  him  to-morrow.  Of  course  I  am 
going.  Who  dreams  for  a  moment  that  I  am  not  ?" 

I  glared  defiantly  from  one  to  the  other  of  my 
companions  as  if  I  held  them  responsible  as 
would-be  agents  of  my  destiny.  Kate  placed  a 
gentle,  coaxing  arm  about  me. 

"  Of  course,  dear,  of  course  you  are  going.  But 
there  is  no  need  to  call  back  that  good  old  soul. 
Geof  and  I  will  see  you  to  the  train  to-morrow. 
You  can  meet  him  there." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

I  HAVE  been  reading  over  what  I  have  written, 
and  I  feel  that  I  have  laid  undue  stress  on  the  fact 
of  Greeley's  influence  upon  me.  There  was  noth- 
ing in  any  degree  mysterious  or  occult,  hypnotic 
or  mesmeric  in  the  power  which  he  certainly 
gained  over  my  actions.  He  was  simply  a  man 
of  tremendous  will,  well  versed  in  the  weaknesses 
of  human  nature,  selfish  to  the  core,  and  unscru- 
pulous in  dealing  with  obstacles  that  barred  the 
progress  of  his  own  projects.  He  might  have 
secured  a  chair  in  Nature's  great  University  as 
professor  of  the  delicate  and  abstruse  science  of 
Femininity,  so  grounded  was  he  in  the  subject  of 
Woman.  He  could  analyze  and  classify  the  most 
difficult  characters,  reveal  the  subtleties  of  complex 
temperaments,  and  play  upon  feelings  and  suscep- 
tibilities with  the  firm  and  assured  touch  of  a 
master. 

He  had  read  me  at  a  glance;  had  discovered 
how  native  vivacity  and  gayety  warred  against  the 
circumstances  of  my  life;  had  noted  my  vanity, 
the  strong  predisposition  towards  worldliness 
which  corresponded  so  ill  with  my  position  as  a 
minister's  wife ;  he  had  seen  how  impressionable  I 

67 


68  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

was, — how  dangerously  sensitive  to  harmony,  how 
easily  moved  and  excited.  In  a  word,  he  had  dis- 
sected me  thoroughly  and  had  discovered  that  he 
might  direct  me  merely  by  an  effort  of  his  will. 
He  never,  however,  gained  an  ascendency  over  me 
which  involved  the  absolute  exclusion  of  my  own 
volition.  Weak,  prone  to  self-indulgence,  and 
yielding  though  I  was,  I  was  ever  mistress  of  my 
own  actions;  save,  indeed,  when  the  frenzy  of 
dancing  was  upon  me. 

Even  this  temporary  madness,  however,  I  soon 
learned  to  subdue.  I  had  a  will  of  my  own,  after 
all,  and  I  found  before  long  that  I  might  strengthen 
it  as  a  matter  of  self-protection,  else  I  should  be- 
come the  mere  tool  of  Geoffrey  Greeley's  merce- 
nary purposes.  For,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
state  that  I  did  not  return  to  Sheraton  the  next 
day,  nor  the  next ;  nor  after  that  again,  until,  years 
later,  I  was  summoned  to  receive  a  holy  charge 
into  my  care. 

It  is  singular  how  easily  one  falls  into  narration. 
I  had  not  thought  it  would  be  so  simple  a  matter 
to  separate  the  salient  features  of  my  past  from 
the  dreary  detail  that  encumbered  them.  But,  as 
I  reread  my  little  history,  I  see  how  very  few 
events  of  prominence  I  had  to  select  from  during 
that  interval,  and  I  wonder,  as  I  sit  here  with  my 
chin  in  my  hand  and  think  back,  how  I  ever  bore 
the  monotony  of  that  vegetation  as  long  as  I  did. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  69 

For  a  week  I  took  the  turn  of  Nita  Conquest, 
dancing  every  night  and  gaining  fresh  and  shining 
laurels.  My  fame  spread  abroad  among  all  na- 
tions, and  my  fittingly-bestowed  title,  " L Allegro" 
clung  and  became  a  veritable  nom  de  guerre.  The 
town  went  mad  over  me,  and  the  theatre  did  such 
a  business  as  it  had  never  done  before.  My  cos- 
tumes were  varied  each  night,  and,  as  I  was  with- 
out method  in  my  dancing,  so  it  was  never  twice 
the  same.  I  was  overwhelmed  with  letters,  invita- 
tions, offers  from  other  managers.  Originators  of 
proprietary  articles,  patent  soaps,  perfumes,  etc., 
named  their  wares  for  me  and  generously  supplied 
me  with  the  same.  I  might  have  bathed  in  dif- 
ferent varieties  of  malted  extracts ;  I  might  have 
supplied  a  dermatologist's  clientele  with  toilet 
lotions ;  I  might  have  soothed  the  cuticle  of  a 
community  with  face-powders  gratis,  had  I  so 
minded.  My  room  and  those  of  the  Greeleys 
overflowed  with  flowers.  The  stage-door  was 
besieged  by  gilded  youth.  In  short,  I  was  the 
supreme  theatrical  attraction  of  the  hour  in 
America,  which  is  a  far  call  from  the  obscure 
status  of  a  country  minister's  wife. 

Whatever  else  I  may  blame  them  for,  I  must 
acknowledge  a  considerable  indebtedness  to  the 
Greeleys  for  their  watchful  care  of  me  during  that 
bewildering  week.  So  slight  a  negligence  on 
their  part  might  have  wrought  such  dread  conse- 


70  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

quences  to  me.  For  I  was,  despite  my  carnal 
inclinations,  as  ingenuous,  as  unsuspicious  of  the 
wickedness  and  corruption  that  stalks  nakedly  and 
unconcernedly  abroad  in  city  places  as  a  child  not 
yet  freed  from  leading-strings.  But  they  guarded 
me  solicitously,  even  rigorously,  from  the  approach 
of  strangers.  I  was  permitted  to  meet  only  such 
persons,  and  these  were  very  few,  as  they  chose  to 
present  to  me.  I  was  kept  well  within  the  hotel, 
and  my  sole  outside  diversion  was  a  daily  drive  in 
the  park  with  Kate,  of  whom  I  had  grown  more 
fond  than  I  had  ever  been  of  any  one  in  my  life, 
not  excepting  old  Pensy. 

And  had  I  no  regrets ;  was  I  untroubled  by  re- 
morse ;  did  my  heart  never  turn  lovingly  back  to  the 
home  I  had  deserted,  the  duties  I  had  abandoned, 
the  husband  and  child  I  had  forsaken?  I  ask 
myself  this  question,  but  memory  furnishes  me 
with  no  satisfactory  answer.  Could  the  repentance 
that  often  assailed  me,  so  largely  intermingled  as 
it  was  with  joyous  satisfaction  in  my  present  sur- 
roundings, be  properly  called  remorse?  Could 
the  gentle  wistfulness  and  temperate  regard  with 
which  I  frequently  dwelt  upon  the  memories  of 
those  I  had  deliberately  turned  my  back  on  be 
rightly  denominated  regret?  Could  a  determi- 
nation never  to  return,  which,  once  formed,  knew 
no  fluctuation,  be  held  to  indicate  any  very  deep 
contrition?  It  seems  to  me  not.  Must  I  then 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  71 

write  myself  down  heartless  ?  It  is  such  an  awful 
thing,  one  thinks  who  loves  a  child,  for  a  mother 
wilfully  to  desert  her  baby.  It  is  as  though  such 
an  one  could  not  have  the  natural  organ  of  affection 
within  her! 

But  I  have.  Let  who  will  deny  me  beauty, 
grace,  cleverness,  charm,  talent,  I'll  not  say  them 
nay.  But,  an  they  protest  I  have  no  heart,  by  all 
my  gods  I  swear  I  have ;  for  who  has  so  cringed 
beneath  its  authority,  has  suffered  under  its  tyr- 
anny, has  felt  its  oppression,  as  have  I,  its  peasant 
and  slave  ? 

The  heart  was  there.  The  princess  asleep  within 
her  slumbering  castle.  Was  mine  the  blame  if 
neither  the  lips  of  duty  nor  nature  possessed  the 
charm  to  awaken  her  from  her  long  repose  ? 

At  the  end  of  the  week  I  was  withdrawn  from 
the  stage.  Nita  Conquest  recovered  from  her 
accident  and  made  her  reappearance  before  an 
audience  which  received  her  so  coldly  that  she 
has  ever  held  me  responsible  for  blighting  her 
career. 

Greeley  was  too  wise  to  trifle  with  the  golden 
goose  he  had  so  unexpectedly  discovered,  and,  as 
I  showed  unmistakable  signs  of  nervous  exhaus- 
tion from  the  week  of  unprecedented  excitement 
which  I  had  undergone,  it  was  apparent  to  his 
shrewd  intelligence  that  not  long  could  I  continue 
to  enrich  his  coffers  at  such  a  rate.  Therefore, 


72  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

having  duly  discussed  the  matter  with  his  wife,  he 
made  me  the  following  proposition :  I  should  al- 
low myself  to  be  sent  abroad  for  a  year  at  his 
expense,  and  placed  in  the  care  of  Kate's  sister, 
who  had  married  a  professor  of  dancing  in  Paris. 
This  man,  Monsieur  Latrobe,  was  a  master  of  his 
art,  with  a  world-wide  reputation.  Better  than  any 
other  he  would  understand  the  proper  develop- 
ment of  my  talent,  would  retain  and  cultivate  its 
originality,  and  train  it  to  consummate  perfec- 
tion. 

At  the  end  of  the  year,  if  M.  Latrobe  advised 
it,  I  should  return  to  America  and  place  myself 
under  the  management  of  Greeley,  to  whom  I 
should  render  my  services  gratuitously  until  such 
time  as  the  amount  of  my  indebtedness  to  him 
were  discharged.  The  valuation  of  my  abilities 
was  to  be  left  to  M.  Latrobe.  If,  however,  my 
master  considered  that  more  time  were  necessary 
to  my  complete  artistic  development,  Greeley 
agreed  not  to  press  the  matter  of  my  appearance 
within  two  years  from  the  current  date. 

I  had  sent  a  letter  to  Mr.  Mavis  announcing  my 
intention  to  study  for  the  stage,  and  had  received 
in  response  a  cold,  stern  acknowledgment  of  my 
communication.  He  made  me  no  reproaches ;  he 
indulged  in  no  predictions  of  ultimate  ruin;  he 
urged  no  advice  as  to  the  wisdom  of  reflection. 
He  simply  wrote : 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  73 

"  I  have  received  your  letter,  Pauline, — a  letter 
characteristic  of  your  father's  child.  It  has  not 
surprised  me.  If  you  ever  have  need  of  its  pro- 
tection, my  roof  stands  ready  to  shelter  you. 

"  Yours, 

"JAMES  MAVIS." 

The  letter  was  so  like  the  writer  that  I  shuddered 
even  as  I  read  it.  Oh,  the  severity  of  orthodox 
Christianity !  Oh,  the  ungraciousness  of  perfunc- 
tory charity !  I  merited  worse  than  I  received ;  I 
make  no  attempt  to  blind  myself  to  that  fact ;  but 
those  few  phrases,  penned  with  such  evident  for- 
bearance and  estimable  self-restraint,  chastised  me 
with  scorpions.  My  father's  child!  The  term 
sank  deep. 

I  signed  my  contract.  I  went  abroad.  I 
finished  a  year  of  strict  discipline  both  of  mind 
and  body.  Latrobe  was  furnished  with  the  witch- 
hazel  wand  of  perspicacity.  He  discerned  many 
possibilities  in  me  of  which  I  was  ignorant  and 
turned  them  to  advantage.  Among  these  dis- 
coveries ranked  first  a  strong,  pure  soprano  voice. 
This  was  at  once  put  under  cultivation,  and  twelve 
months  did  so  much  for  it  that  it  was  considered 
imperative  another  year's  instruction  be  granted  it. 
At  the  end  of  the  second  year  Latrobe  wrote 
Greeley  to  come  over  to  Paris  and  hear  me,  in 
order  that  he  should  see  for  himself  how  unwise 


74  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

it  would  be  to  interrupt  a  training  which  promised 
so  brilliantly.  I  remained  the  third  year,  and  in 
the  following  October  made  my  debut  in  Paris 
under  Greeley's  management. 

The  opera  in  which  I  appeared  had  its  first 
performance  that  night.  It  was  a  daring,  unique 
thing,  written  especially  for  me  by  a  young  Span- 
iard who  was  slowly  dying  of  consumption  in 
Mme.  Latrobe's  pension.  "  Les  Papillons  de 
1'Enfer,"  he  had  called  it,  and  it  was  a  master- 
piece of  infernal  fire  and  beauty.  The  scenery, 
costumes,  music,  the  whole  atmosphere  of  the 
composition,  suggested  satanic  realms.  One  shud- 
dered even  while  yielding  to  the  fascinations  of 
the  music ;  one  recoiled  even  while  gazing  spell- 
bound at  the  exquisite  scenes.  It  was  malignant, 
diabolical,  sinister;  but  it  was  also  seductive, 
beautiful,  ravishing. 

The  night  was  one  of  double  triumph.  The 
production  created  a  profound  impression  and 
called  forth  unstinted  praise  from  the  critics,  to 
whom  the  young  composer  was  unknown,  while  I 
captured  the  house  from  the  start  and  received  an 
ovation  which  was  more  than  flattering  to  a 
stranger  and  alien.  My  success  that  evening  was 
of  far  greater  worth  than  that  former  sensation  I 
had  made  in  New  York.  The  latter  was  merely 
an  unsustained  effort  of  nature,  which  could  have 
no  permanent  artistic  value;  the  former  was  the 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  75 

result  of  severe  and  systematic  discipline  and 
culture,  which  should  endure  as  long  as  my 
powers  lasted.  I  was  now,  indeed,  artiste. 

I  went  through  the  usual  course  of  adulation. 
I  was  showered  with  flowers;  called  before  the 
curtain  until  I  could  no  longer  see  the  audience 
from  sheer  optic  fatigue ;  my  dressing-room,  even, 
was  invaded  by  persons  of  fashion  and  distinction, 
desirous  of  felicitating  the  darling  of  the  hour; 
the  horses  were  taken  from  my  carriage  and  I  was 
haled  through  the  streets,  to  my  infinite  terror,  by 
a  yelling  mob  of  enthusiastic  students. 

The  next  day  my  lodgings  were  besieged  by 
callers.  Critics  of  eminence,  men  of  letters, 
musical  geniuses,  ladies  of  high  degree,  and  jour- 
nalists unnumbered  flocked  thither,  either  to  leave 
cards  or  to  request  an  audience.  I  was  new  to  it 
all  then,  and  conscientiously  sought  to  fulfil  the 
duties  as  well  as  the  pleasures  incident  to  the 
social  side  of  my  profession.  I  felt  it  to  be  incum- 
bent upon  me  to  receive  such  as  asked  for  an  inter- 
view, and  to  give  what  assistance  I  might  to  those 
who  desired  it.  Among  these  was  a  man  who  at 
first  sight  seemed  familiar  to  me.  Yet  I  knew  I 
had  never  seen  him  before,  nor  was  my  inclination 
to  repeat  our  interview  a  very  strong  one,  for  he 
did  not  favorably  impress  me. 

He  was  a  Frenchman  of  middle  age,  extremely 
shabby  in  appearance,  but  of  a  dandified  and,  if  the 


j6  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

term  may  be  allowed,  exquisite  shabbiness.  There 
was  no  sign  of  beard  on  his  cheeks  or  chin,  his 
dark  mustache  was  well  waxed,  his  cravat  tied 
after  the  newest  mode,  and  his  linen  clean  and 
well-laundered.  But  his  black  eyes  were  set  close 
together,  and  were  sinister  and  furtive  in  expres- 
sion ;  his  face  suggested  desperation,  and  the  toupet 
which  he  wore  to  disguise  his  baldness  gave  an  air 
of  artificiality  to  his  looks  which  was  not  redeemed 
by  the  obvious  genuineness  of  a  constantly  revealed 
set  of  very  white  and  handsome  teeth. 

Isadore  Coello,  the  young  composer,  was  in  my 
salon  when  this  man  presented  himself.  After  the 
interview,  when  the  visitor  had  departed,  Isadore 
said, — 

"  Pepita,  attenta  I  the  dying  have  premonitions 
which  come  to  pass.  Do  not  assist  that  fellow ; 
he'll  bite  the  hand  that  feeds  him.  And  yet,  why 
warn  you  ?  What  will  be,  will  be." 

And  so  it  proved.  The  man — he  gave  his  name 
as  Leon  Picot — had  come  to  beg  me  to  use  my 
good  offices  with  Greeley  that  the  latter  might 
give  him  some  employment  which  would  permit 
of  his  returning  to  America  with  the  company, 
thus  saving  him  the  necessity  of  paying  his  own 
passage.  He  stated  his  case  succinctly,  but  with 
a  forcefulness  and  an  amount  of  repressed  eager- 
ness which  made  a  strong  impression  upon  me.  It 
was  so  necessary  that  he  should  find  the  means  of 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  77 

reaching  America.  He  was  poor ;  it  was  needless 
to  relate  how  poor.  He  had  been  artiste, — not  so 
great  as  madame,  of  course,  but  still  artiste.  He 
had  had  misfortunes.  The  good  God  avert  such 
from  the  beautiful  head  of  madame !  (Here  he 
crossed  himself.)  In  America  a  competence,  if 
not  actual  wealth,  awaited  him.  If  madame  would 
but  use  her  influence,  etc. 

It  so  chanced  that  Greeley  was  in  search  of  a 
prompter.  He  was  so  jubilant  at  my  success  that 
he  was  more  than  ready  to  heed  any  request 
I  might  make  of  him.  I  brought  the  case  of  Picot 
before  his  notice  with  the  result  of  securing  to  the 
latter  the  vacant  situation,  which  he  showed  him- 
self amply  qualified  to  fill. 

We  played  a  month  in  Paris  and  then  returned 
to  New  York.  Heralded  by  a  brilliant  trans- 
atlantic reputation,  my  victory  over  the  great 
American  cosmopolis  was  a  foregone  conclusion. 
We  opened,  as  in  Paris,  with  "  Les  Papillons,"  and 
Coello,  who  had  accompanied  us,  shared  the  honors 
of  our  premiere.  Poor  boy !  poor,  eager,  ardent, 
aspiring  young  soul !  His  genius  was  his  enemy, 
consuming  his  life  with  its  greedy  passion.  And 
how  he  loved  me,  dear  lad !  I  have  had  offer  made 
me  of  the  love  of  many  men ;  he  never  tendered 
me  his,  knowing  well  the  obstacle  which  intervened 
between  us ;  but  no  amount  of  protestation  ever  so 
convinced  me  as  that  chivalrous,  undeclared,  and 


7 8  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

yet  absolute  devotion  which  was  my  protection, 
my  pride,  my  safeguard  in  those  few  short  months 
that  were  the  niggardly  allotment  of  existence  yet 
permitted  to  him  by  a  too  rigorous  climate.  The 
memory  of  his  knightly  regard  has  ever  shed  its 
gentle  beams  over  my  pathway  since.  He  was  a 
noble  youth,  and  full  of  extraordinary  promise.  I 
loved  him  like  a  brother,  and  nursed  him  till  he 
died  with  my  hand  held  fast  in  his. 

He  had  conceived  a  singular  distrust  of  Picot, 
and  would  have  had  Greeley  discharge  him  upon 
reaching  New  York.  But  I  considered  his  preju- 
dice merely  one  of  the  groundless  whims  incident 
to  his  malady,  and  would  not  permit  such  injustice 
to  be  done  the  man  who  had  proved  himself  inval- 
uable in  his  position. 

"You  will  regret,  Pepita,  you  will  regret,"  he 
would  expostulate,  when  the  subject  was  under 
discussion.  "  Separate  yourself  from  him  as  widely 
as  you  may.  He  has  the  evil  eye  for  you.  I  can- 
not bear  to  see  his  glance  rest  upon  you." 

"  Do  you  think  he  loves  me,  then,  Dorito  ?"  I 
asked,  laughing  scornfully  at  the  idea.  Dorito 
was  my  diminutive  for  Isadore.  The  young  Span- 
iard's face  clouded. 

"  Do  not  even  scoff  at  the  passion  of  so  mean  a 
worm  as  Picot,"  he  admonished.  "  Disappointed 
love  in  some  men  turns  to  a  deadly  venom  which 
may  kill  its  object  with  a  single  breath." 


79 

Again  I  laughed  in  proud  disdain. 

"Then  you  think  I  am  adored  by  Monsieur 
Toupet  ?" 

He  shook  his  head  gravely,  in  no  degree  catch- 
ing the  contagion  of  my  lighter  mood.  And 
through  his  thin  frame  went  a  long  shiver,  like  those 
of  which  we  say,  "  Some  one  is  walking  over  my 
grave ;"  the  hectic  color  on  his  high  cheek-bones 
burned  scarlet  and  his  large  dark  eyes  gloomed, 
wistful  and  troubled,  into  my  merry  ones. 

"  I  do  not  know  whether  it  is  his  love  or  his 
hate  that  menaces  you,  Pepita.  My  impressions 
come  not '  in  battalions,'  but '  single  spies.'  I  only 
feel  that  you  will  in  some  way  suffer  from  him, 
and,  I  pray  you,  make  Greeley  discharge  him.  If 
only  I  were  to  be  here  to  guard  you,  Paulina ;  but 
my  days  grow  short." 

So  he  would  urge  and  argue  day  after  day  until 
at  last  his  poor  young  life  wore  itself  away.  An 
ardent,  glorious  flame  in  a  fragile  and  infirm  socket. 
Poor  lad !  I  loved  him  and  I  missed  him  sadly, 
sorely.  I  reverenced  him  also  as  a  master.  My 
grief  at  his  loss  was  that  of  a  sister  and  a  disciple 
combined.  After  his  death,  while  his  memory 
was  still  present  with  me,  I  felt  that  imperative 
desire  to  fulfil  such  wishes  as  I  had  ever  heard  him 
express  which  so  often  assails  those  bereft.  Promi- 
nent among  these  was  that  hitherto  disregarded 
request  of  his  that  I  should  seek  in  every  way  to 


80  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

dissever  my  life  completely  from  that  of  Picot. 
The  unreasonableness  and  injustice  of  the  whim 
were  now  lost  sight  of  in  the  fact  that  it  had  ema- 
nated from  him.  I  knew  that,  living,  my  compliance 
would  have  gratified  him  ;  dead,  it  should  at  least 
be  a  flower  of  late  repentance  and  love  laid  upon 
his  grave. 

So  I  went  tc  Greeley  and  told  him  that  I  wished 
the  man  dismissed.  I  was  ashamed  to  offer  so 
paltry  a  reason  as  a  dead  man's  ungrounded 
prejudice  as  the  cause  of  my  demand,  therefore  I 
said  that  there  was  that  about  the  prompter's  per- 
sonality which  affected  me  to  a  degree  that  inter- 
fered with  my  stage  business.  I  offered  to  advance 
him  three  months'  salary,  but  go,  I  insisted,  he 
must  and  should. 

I  had  reached  an  altitude  now  in  my  career  from 
which  I  was  able  to  dictate  to  my  manager  with- 
out fear  of  consequences.  He  knew  me  to  be 
impressionable  and  was  accustomed  to  great  eccen- 
tricity among  that  class  of  high-strung  humanity 
of  which  I  was  a  member.  He  regretted  losing 
an  excellent  employe,  but  was  far  more  loath  to 
offend  me.  Therefore  at  the  week's  end  Picot 
found  himself,  quite  unexpectedly,  out  of  a  posi- 
tion. How  he  knew  that  I  caused  his  dismissal  I 
never  learned,  but  that  he  did  discover  it  I  was 
soon  made  aware  of. 

One  evening  as  I  was  alighting  from  my  car- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  81 

riage,  on  returning  from  the  theatre,  I  saw  a  man 
loitering  in  front  of  the  hotel.  I  failed  to  recog- 
nize him  at  first,  and  therefore  did  not  dream  of 
connecting  his  presence  there  with  myself.  As  I 
was  about  entering  the  doorway,  however,  he 
thrust  himself  forward,  intercepting  my  progress, 
and  I  perceived  then  that  it  was  Picot.  His  eyes 
glittered  in  the  semi-darkness,  and,  even  if  I  had 
not  observed  the  fumes  of  absinthe  about  him,  I 
should  have  known  from  his  general  appearance 
that  he  had  been  drinking.  He  laid  a  small,  deli- 
cate hand  on  my  arm  to  stay  me. 

"  One  moment,  madame,"  he  hissed,  in  a  sharp, 
sibilant  half-tone.  "  Permit  me  say  a  single  word 
to  you.  You  have  exacted  that  M.  Greeley  gave 
to  me  my  conge.  For  no  reason,  fa.  Alors,  I 
would  say  to  you  that  Paul  Carette  forgets  not 
treason  that  is  done  him.  He  repays  in  his  own 
time  and  fashion.  That  is  all,  madame.  Bon  soir  /" 

His  voice  grew  smooth  and  honeyed  as  the 
night-porter  threw  open  the  door;  but  my  heart 
stood  still.  What  was  that  he  said  ?  "  Paul 
Carette  forgets  not  treason  done  him."  Who,  then, 
was  Paul  Carette?  The  name  rang  familiarly 
enough  upon  my  ears.  I  had  cause  to  know  it. 
But  no — not  he — not  this  puny,  meretricious, 
sinister-looking  waste-end  of  humanity  whose 
character  was  so  feeble  that  its  impulses  could 
never  attain  to  the  degree  of  strength  which  raises 

6 


82  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

such  to  the  dignity  of  passions — he  could  have  no 
claim  to  the  name  he  spoke  so  glibly. 

The  porter,  seeing  me  accompanied,  withdrew 
within  the  hall.  The  night  was  solitary,  but  I  had 
no  room  in  my  mind  for  fear.  My  thoughts  had 
else  to  occupy  them.  I  turned  imperiously  upon 
my  companion,  speaking  boldly  from  my  excess 
of  apprehension  as  to  his  meaning. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  have  lost  your  place,  Monsieur 
Picot,"  I  said,  coldly,  with  my  head  held  haughtily 
erect,  "  but  I  believe  you  only  asked  me  to  procure 
you  the  means  of  reaching  America.  I  have 
never  considered  that  the  matter  of  your  further 
welfare  was  my  charge.  As  for  your  friend, — Mon- 
sieur Carette,  was  it? — I  have  no  acquaintance 
with  him,  and  so  his  remarkable  feats  of  memory 
and  his  eccentricities  of  behavior  arouse  neither 
my  interest  nor  my  curiosity." 

My  heart  sank  sadly  as  I  spoke,  and  my  fearful 
spirit  quailed  within  me,  for,  challenge  the  fact  as 
my  pride  prompted  me  to  do,  nevertheless  it  was 
borne  in  upon  me,  even  before  he  replied,  that  the 
man  confronting  me  was  my  father.  There  was 
that  within  constrained  my  reluctant  belief.  He 
drew  his  heels  together,  as  Frenchmen  do  when 
about  to  salute,  and  raised  his  hat.  An  ironical 
smile,  filled  with  malevolence,  wrinkled  his  yellow 
skin. 

"  Ah !"  he  cried,  "  you  make  a  mistake,  madame. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  83 

Permit  that  I  introduce  you.  In  public  life  I,  like 
madame,  though  of  less  distinction,  make  use  of  a 
pseudonyme.  In  affairs  personal  or  of  honor  I 
bear  another  name,  as  likewise,  doubtless,  does 
madame.  Allow  me,  then,  to  name  myself,  since 
this  is  an  affair  quite  of  that  nature.  It  is  Mon- 
sieur Paul  Carette  who  has  the  honor  to  be  in- 
debted to  madame  to  an  extent  he  will  not  easily 
forget." 

His  eyes  glowed  malignantly  and  his  teeth  glit- 
tered white  in  the  darkness.  I  shivered  and  drew 
my  fur-lined  wrap  closer  about  me.  Had  poor 
Isadore  been  right,  then,  and  had  this  man,  indeed, 
the  evil  eye  for  me?  I  gathered  my  forces  to- 
gether and  suddenly  threw  out  my  arm  with  a 
free,  wide  movement,  as  if  I  would  sweep  from  my 
path  some  noxious  reptile.  What  though  he  were 
my  father !  He  had  deliberately  severed  the  ties 
between  us.  I  had  other  occupation  for  my  leisure 
than  that  of  knitting  together  the  time-frayed  ends 
of  rudely-disjoined  natural  affections.  My  identity 
was  wholly  unknown  to  him,  and  there  was  little 
likelihood  of  his  discovering  it. 

"  Then  to  Monsieur  Paul  Carette  I  would  say 
that  it  is  quite  a  matter  of  indifference  to  me 
whether  he  remembers  or  forgets  to  discharge  his 
obligations,"  I  returned,  incisively.  "  I  have  never 
been  one  whom  menace  would  much  intimidate." 

I  fancy  that  the  contemptuous  curve  of  my  lips 


84  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

was  perceptible  in  the  lamplight,  and  that  it  still 
further  angered  him ;  for  as  I  turned  to  enter  the 
hotel  he  took  a  step  after  me.  His  dark,  thin  face 
was  quite  close  to  mine  as  he  whispered,  sharply, — 

"  You  are  assured  in  your  conceit,  but  every  life 
has  its  vulnerable  point,  madame.  A  worm  may 
bore  to  the  heart  of  the  most  flourishing  vine  and 
destroy  its  glory.  You  think  me  coquin,  madame. 
What  if  I  prove  un  ver-coquin  (a  vine-maggot) 
also?" 

"  Porter !"  I  cried ;  and  the  man,  who  little 
dreamed  that  it  was  his  daughter  who  thus  drove 
him  from  her  door,  melted  away  in  the  darkness. 

And  it  seemed  for  some  years  that  permanent 
darkness  had  swallowed  him  and  his  threats.  He 
disappeared  from  New  York,  and  from  my  life  as 
well.  I  heard  nothing  of  or  from  him,  and  soon 
well-nigh  forgot  him  in  the  many  and  various  in- 
terests of  an  absorbing  career.  I  was  engrossed 
with  my  profession,  and  with  all  the  multitudinous 
time-  and  thought-exacting  demands  it  brought  in 
its  train.  It  was  an  intoxicating  period,  until  my 
vanity  became  satiated  and  my  neglected  heart 
began  to  revolt  against  the  canonization  of  the 
Ego  at  the  expense  of  all  richer  and  worthier 
human  hopes  and  aims. 

I  floated  on  a  swelling  tide  of  worldly  approval 
and  bathed  in  a  full  sea  of  tumultuous  admiration. 
My  tours  of  the  country  were  royal  progresses, 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  85 

and  I  was  feted  and  applauded  abroad  as  well  as 
at  home.  Six  years  I  was  under  the  management 
of  Greeley,  who  proved  very  faithful  to  my  in- 
terests, which  were  likewise,  of  course,  his  own. 
He  died  suddenly  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  season, 
and  Kate  became  my  companion,  although  a  well- 
dowered  widow. 

I  continued  to  study  hard  and  conscientiously, 
and  my  life  outside  the  theatre  was  by  no  means  a 
dissipated  one.  Extravagant  in  tastes  and  habits 
I  certainly  was  and  am,  for  I  have  a  passion  for 
beauty  and  luxury  and  would  always  clothe  my- 
self in  purple  and  fine  linen.  My  coffers  were  ever 
overflowing,  so  I  might  gratify  my  caprices  as  I 
would  without  fear  of  depleting  them,  and  it  was 
not  one  of  the  least  of  my  pleasures  to  relieve  as 
far  as  I  was  able  the  many  cases  of  distress  and 
need  which  no  prosperous  eyes  are  ever  spared  the 
sight  of. 

I  had  acquaintances  as  numerous  as  the  sands 
of  the  sea-shore,  and  friends  as  steadfast  as  its 
rocks.  They  say  I  am  magnetic ;  that  I  have  that 
indescribable,  indefinable  quality  which  constrains 
love  and  liking  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  merits 
and  deserts  of  one  who  possesses  it,  and  it  is  true 
that  I  gain  affection,  and  hold  it  also,  without  con- 
scious effort.  Yet  what  behooves  it  all  if  I  may 
not  profit  by  that  supreme  and  precious  passion 
that  I  have  aroused ! 


86  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

But,  in  spite  of  my  popularity,  and  notwith- 
standing the  large  drafts  I  might  make  upon  love 
and  friendship,  I  was  essentially  a  lonely  woman. 
I  had  never  obtained  a  divorce  from  my  husband. 
The  wedding-tie,  null  and  void  as  it  had  become 
in  spirit,  yet  held  in  letter,  and  I  felt  it  a  protection 
against  the  unwelcome  passions  I  inspired.  The 
fact  that  I  was  a  married  woman  was  one  that  I 
kept  prominently  before  the  public,  and  although 
it  did  not  restrain  would-be  lovers  from  tacitly 
manifesting  their  adoration  by  various  methods, 
yet  it  did  spare  me  overt  proffer  of  the  same.  I 
had  so  scrupulously  governed  my  conduct  since 
first  adopting  a  public  career  that  no  man  dared 
hint  to  me  of  illicit  love. 

I  had  two  stanch  women  friends  who  would 
have  gone  through  fire  and  water  for  me.  One, 
thank  God !  yet  remains  to  me ;  for  the  other,  poor 
old  Kate !  has  gone  to  join  (perhaps)  her  Geof, 
whose  death  left  her  a  sadly  broken  woman.  This 
other,  Jean  Wallace,  is  a  young  Scotch  girl,  who 
was  chambermaid  in  a  Western  hotel,  where  I  once 
stopped  during  an  engagement.  I  found  she  had 
a  voice  and  placed  her  where  it  might  be  culti- 
vated, having  her  with  me  during  holidays.  It  was 
reaching  a  rare  degree  of  beauty  when  the  poor 
child  caught  cold.  Pneumonia  developed,  and  her 
prospective  career  vanished  in  thin  air.  She  is  of 
a  deeply  religious  nature  and  bore  her  tragic  be- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  87 

reavement  like  a  young  martyr.  She  is  a  homely, 
warm-hearted,  tenacious  little  creature,  and  has 
lived  with  me  ever  since.  She  overestimates  what 
trifling  service  I  have  done  her,  and  would  fight  for 
me  to  the  death,  I  really  believe. 

Twelve  years  from  the  very  day  I  left  Sheraton 
I  was  summoned  back  to  it.  It  was  one  of  the 
many  coincidences  of  my  life  that  my  husband's 
death  should  have  recalled  me  to  his  home  on  the 
very  anniversary  of  the  day  upon  which  I  had 
deserted  it. 

I  was  playing  in  Albany,  and  the  telegram, 
signed  by  my  old  friend,  Deacon  Rogers,  was  for- 
warded me  from  a  theatrical  agency  in  New  York, 
where,  in  his  perplexity,  the  deacon  had  directed 
it.  It  besought  me  to  be  present  upon  the  mor- 
row, when  the  funeral  would  take  place.  I  wired 
him  that  I  would  comply  with  his  wishes,  and 
went. 

As  I  alighted  from  the  train  in  the  Sheraton 
station  my  heart  sank  like  a  lump  of  lead  in  my 
bosom.  A  deadly  oppression  weighed  upon  me ; 
the  past  with  its  dismal  chain  of  uneventful  years 
trooped  miserably  through  my  mind;  I  felt  at 
once  shackled  and  fettered  by  the  very  calm  and 
repose  that  obtained  throughout  the  village.  I 
arrived  in  scant  time  for  the  services,  and  walked 
from  the  station  to  the  little  cottage.  The  streets 
were  deserted,  not  because  a  funeral  was  in  prog- 


88  A   Queen  of  Hearts 

ress,  but  because  it  was  their  habit  so  to  be.  Out 
of  regard  for  propriety  I  had  dressed  myself  from 
crown  to  foot  not  in  widow's  weeds,  which  would 
have  been  a  mockery,  but  in  plain  black. 

At  first,  expecting  to  see  a  play-actress  arrayed 
for  all  occasions  in  the  scarlet-and-gold  trappings 
of  her  profession,  the  group  of  men  in  the  door- 
way of  my  former  home  failed  to  recognize  me  as 
I  approached  them.  Possibly  they  took  me  for 
some  relative  of  the  dead  man,  come  hither  from  a 
distant  city.  But  as  they  parted  to  allow  me  to 
enter  the  little  gateway,  I  heard  an  exclamation 
and  knew  that  it  came  from  the  lips  of  my  old 
school-mate,  Joe  Rogers. 

"  By  gum  •  it's  her,"  he  said,  elegantly  voicing 
his  discovery  to  his  companions.  And  the  news 
that  I  had  arrived  preceded  me  up  the  walk  and 
through  the  doorway,  invading  even  the  decent 
hush  of  the  mortuary  chamber,  and  necks  craned 
forward,  young  eyes  stared  rudely  and  dim  ones 
peered  anxiously  to  behold  the  curious  spectacle 
of  one  who  had  set  herself  upon  the  very  throne 
of  Satan,  climbing  over  the  bodies  of  husband  and 
child  to  do  so. 

One  old  man  alone  respected  my  feelings  and 
sought  to  shield  them.  Deacon  Rogers  rose  from 
a  seat  beside  the  door  of  the  tiny  parlor,  wherein 
the  dead  minister  lay,  and  came  forward  to  greet 
me.  On  his  arm  my  hand  rested,  as  with  dim  eyes 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  89 

and  ill-assured  step  I  entered  the  well-remembered 
room  that  had  once  seemed  of  goodly  proportions 
and  now  looked  a  mere  closet,  and  took  the  chair 
set  ready  for  me  at  the  foot  of  the  casket. 

Accustomed  to  meeting  the  gaze  of  large  au- 
diences as  I  was,  indifferent  and  inured  to  observa- 
tion as,  through  great  experience,  I  had  come  to  be, 
I  found  myself  compelled  to  lower  my  lids  in  the 
presence  of  that  handful  of  old-time  friends,  now 
my  harsh  critics  and  stern  judges.  Not  until  the 
clergyman  in  his  prayer  alluded  to  the  child,  now 
bereft  indeed  and  worse  than  orphaned,  did  my 
eyes  spring  open. 

Where  was  she,  this  sadly  afflicted  child  ?  What 
were  these  humdrum  creatures  of  sloth  and  dul- 
ness  to  me  who  had  cast  them  off  in  a  never-to-be- 
regretted  impulse  ?  A  sudden,  covetous  yearning 
went  through  me.  I  raised  my  lids  and  boldly 
glanced  over  the  little  gathering.  Not  there,  nor 
there,  nor  there, — none  of  those  withered  counte- 
nances, nor  those  dull,  inanimate,  early  reflections 
of  the  staid  sobriety  of  age,  could  be  the  face  of  my 
child.  However  much  she  might  resemble  her 
father,  she  was  also  of  my  bone, — there  was  some 
of  my  quicksilver  blood  in  her  veins. 

Then  I  felt  upon  me  the  magic  of  a  straining 
gaze.  I  turned  my  glance  whither  I  had  avoided 
looking,  toward  the  spot  where  rested  the  head  to 
which  I  had  vowed  submission.  A  child  sat  there 


90  A   Queen  of  Hearts 

with  meek  hands  folded  on  a  sombre  lap.  A  black 
and  ugly  hat,  which  reminded  me  of  the  hideous 
fabrications  that  cursed  my  childhood,  sat  upon 
discreetly  braided  hair,  the  radiance  of  which  made 
sunshine  in  that  shady  place.  The  little  face  was 
pale,  wistful,  and  sad,  and  from  the  heavy,  red- 
rimmed  lids  looked  forth  a  pair  of  full,  dark  eyes, 
which,  mine  encountering,  awoke  to  instant  life 
within  me  that  heart  which  Nature  had  made  so 
strong  and  capable  of  suffering,  as  strong  things 
must  and  do. 


CHAPTER    V. 

LISA'S  father  had  left  no  will,  therefore  there 
was  nothing  to  prevent  my  assuming  guardianship 
of  the  child.  I  found  that  she  had  been  purposely 
kept  in  ignorance  of  my  profession,  and  when  I 
perceived  how  exceedingly  simple  and  unworldly 
she  was  it  became  a  matter  of  moment  to  me  to 
guard  against  her  enlightenment. 

I  had  become  suddenly  covetous  of  her  respect 
as  well  as  greedy  of  her  affection.  Therefore  it 
behooved  me  scrupulously  to  regard  those  preju- 
dices in  which  she  had  been  reared,  and  to  permit 
no  shock  of  unwelcome  revelation  that  might 
trouble  or  alarm  her  gentle  little  soul.  For  it  was 
a  tender,  conscientious,  easily  disturbed  spirit,  this 
that  had  so  unexpectedly  come  into  my  keeping. 
And  perhaps  I  loved  it  the  better  in  that  it  so 
slightly  resembled  my  own  impetuous  nature. 

For  a  few  days  I  left  Lisa  with  the  deacon  and 
his  good  wife,  both  of  whom  dearly  loved  her, 
until  I  could  decide  where  I  had  best  bestow 
her.  For,  setting  aside  my  constantly  increasing 
resolution  that  she  should  not  at  present  know 
what  was  my  status  in  life,  it  was  obviously  im- 

91 


92  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

possible  that  a  nomad  such  as  I  should  drag  a 
child  about  the  country  with  her.  It  was  Kate 
Greeley  who  solved  the  vexed  question  for  me. 

She  was  a  Romanist  and  had  implicit  confidence 
in  the  institutions  of  her  Church.  She  could  con- 
ceive no  better  or  safer  harborage  for  a  young  girl 
than  a  convent,  and  at  once  proposed  such  a  refuge 
for  Lisa.  I  had  no  prepossession  for  or  against 
these  training  schools,  and  the  idea  was  acceptable 
to  me.  At  her  recommendation  I  made  applica- 
tion to  a  sisterhood  in  a  remote  and  exceedingly 
quiet  little  country  town  in  West  Virginia,  where 
they  consented  to  receive  my  little  one.  I  accom- 
panied her  thither  and  placed  her  in  charge  of  the 
mother-superior,  whom  I  found  a  most  distin- 
guished and  attractive  woman,  the  member  of  an 
old  Southern  family,  which  had  been  ruined  by  the 
Civil  War. 

I  shared  with  her  the  fact  of  my  being  an 
actress,  telling  her  frankly  and  without  reserve  the 
main  points  in  my  history.  I  likewise  informed 
her  that  Lisa  supposed  that  my  separation  from 
her  father  had  been  merely  the  result  of  incom- 
patibility, that  she  was  quite  ignorant  of  my  public 
career,  and  that  it  was  my  urgent  desire  that  the 
truth  be  concealed  from  her  until  such  time  as  I 
saw  fit  to  disclose  it  with  my  own  lips.  To  all  of 
which  the  mother,  having  been  a  woman  of  the 
world  before  becoming  a  conventual  recluse,  lis- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  93 

tened  sympathetically  and  reassuringly.  When  I 
concluded, — 

"  Madame,"  she  said,  gently,  but  with  plain  sig- 
nificance, "  I  quite  understand  your  wishes  and 
promise  you  they  shall  be  respected.  Not  within 
these  sacred  walls,  at  least,  shall  your  child  learn 
anything  to  distress  her  filial  love  and  respect." 

"  Nor  elsewhere,  mother,"  I  returned,  lifting  my 
head  somewhat  proudly.  "  I  have  no  fear  that  my 
daughter's  eyes  shall  find  aught  to  offend  them 
when  she  shall  be  old  enough  to  scan  intelligently 
the  pages  of  her  mother's  history.  It  is  simply 
that  I  wish  her  young  senses  not  to  be  strained 
prematurely." 

The  holy  woman  bowed  courteously,  but  yet 
looked  professionally  disturbed. 

"  With  your  great  charm  and  beauty  you  must 
have  been  often  severely  tempted  of  the  devil," 
she  hazarded. 

"  Not  so  often  as  you  think,  perhaps,  mother," 
I  replied,  smiling.  "  I  have  no  heart, — that  is,  for 
men.  My  excessive  vanity  has  preserved  my 
virtue.  I  feel  myself  of  too  great  consequence  to 
be  wasted  on  a  single  man.  My  conceit  is  enor- 
mous, and  conceit  is  the  very  armor  of  self-interest. 
Therefore  is  my  moral  integrity  well  conserved." 

"  It  is  yet  early  in  the  day,"  she  said.  "  You 
are  still  a  young  woman.  Temptation  may  assail 
you  when  you  least  expect  it.  If  you  were  but 


94  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

of  our  communion,  now,  and  had  the  infallible 
voice  of  the  Church  to  direct  you " 

I  rose  and  extended  my  hand  to  her,  interrupt- 
ing her  attempt  at  proselytism,  but  so  graciously 
and  pleasantly  that  she  could  not  take  offence 
thereat. 

"  I  warned  you  not  a  moment  ago  of  my  con- 
ceit," I  said.  "  It  is  so  assured  that  it  apprehends 
no  danger  to  my  well-being  that  it  cannot  success- 
fully contest  I  am  now  a  free  woman  and  abso- 
lute mistress  of  my  life.  If  temptation  in  the  form 
of  love  come  to  me,  I  shall  succumb  to  it  without 
reserve.  I  have  earned  by  long  probation  the 
right  to  do  so.  But,  mother,  I  am  not  so  opti- 
mistic as  to  expect  anything  so  happy  as  that  I 
fear  the  indulgence  of  my  vanity  is  the  chiefest 
good  the  gods  have  seen  fit  to  decree  me — except, 
possibly,  God  grant  it !  the  heart  of  my  child." 

And  then,  I  remember,  at  mention  of  her  my 
voice  trembled,  and  the  tears  came  into  my  eyes. 
Acting,  as  I  always  do,  on  the  impulse  of  the 
moment,  I  did  an  unusual,  an  unheard-of  thing, 
which  quite  shocked  Kate  when  later  I  related  it 
to  her.  I  leaned  quickly  forward  and  pressed  my 
lips  to  those  of  the  woman  who  had  forsworn  all 
mere  human  emotions,  but  who  was  to  me  at  that 
instant  but  the  being  who  was  to  occupy  towards 
my  little  one  the  relation  whose  duties  it  was  im- 
possible for  me  to  assume. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  95 

"  Be  good  to  her,"  I  implored,  brokenly.  "  Oh, 
mother,  talk  to  her  of  me.  I  have  done  nothing 
since  I  left  her  father  which  renders  me  unfit  for 
her  entire  love  and  respect.  Tell  her  not  that  I 
am  an  actress,  a  dancer,  a  toy  with  which  to  amuse 
the  public,  but  that  I  am  a  lonely  woman  who  has 
worked  hard  and  steadfastly  to  win  her  living ;  that 
I  am  a  repentant  mother  toiling  now  with  a  new 
ambition,  that  of  enriching  and  properly  establish- 
ing her  child ;  that  I  am  good,  that  I  am  pure, 
that,  if  I  have  erred  in  the  past  through  deserting 
those  to  whom  I  was  bound,  I  will  atone  in  the 
future  in  such  measure  as  to  wipe  out  all  memory 
of  former  error.  Tell  her  this ;  tell  her.  I  care 
not  half  so  much  for  her  lessons  as  that  she  learns 
to  adore  me.  And  if  you  but  teach  her  that, 
mother,  let  but  me  know  what  furnishings  your 
altar  needs,  what  vestments  your  priests  require, 
what  sums  are  needed  for  your  poor,  and  my  hand 
shall  not  be  niggardly  in  its  gratitude." 

The  mother  had  started  at  my  caress,  and  a 
warm  flush  mantled  her  white  cheeks.  Her  dignity 
assumed  to  be  somewhat  touched  by  my  impetuous 
bribe,  yet  she  was  tender  and  considerate  of  my 
emotion. 

"  Our  duty  needs  not  to  be  purchased,  my 
child,"  she  rejoined,  drawing  herself  a  little  aloof. 
"  All  the  natural  inclinations  of  your  child's  heart 
towards  you  shall  be  fostered,  I  promise  you ;  but, 


96  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

remember,  the  love  of  God  comes  even  before  that 
of  parents." 

I  set  my  teeth  hard,  but  governed  my  tongue, 
although  with  some  difficulty.  I  was  sorely 
tempted  to  submit  that  the  love  of  God  had  al- 
ready once  divorced  my  life  from  its  natural  objects 
of  affection.  But  I  held  my  peace  and  allowed  my 
mind  to  dwell  upon  that  far-distant  day  when  Mr. 
Mavis  and  I  had  our  chance  encounter  with  the 
cart  of  calves.  My  exultation  over  the  Lord's 
fancied  discomfiture  recurred  to  me,  and  I  fear  I 
irreverently  paraphrased  to  myself  my  former 
exclamation,  applying  it  to  the  present  possibility 
that  now  threatened  me. 

"  Well,  He  sha'n't  get  her,"  I  vowed  internally, 
and  made  my  adieux  to  the  stately  mother. 

Having  thus  properly  established  my  daughter, 
I  continued  my  life  as  before.  Only  now  a  new 
direction  and  purpose  seemed  given  my  efforts, 
and  I  devoted  myself  to  my  profession  with  far 
more  interest  and  ardor.  Of  course,  by  this  time 
I  had  no  longer  the  advantage  of  novelty  to  recom- 
mend me,  but  nevertheless  my  popularity  had  in 
no  degree  diminished.  I  kept  thoroughly  abreast 
of  the  times  and  made  my  yearly  trips  abroad  in 
search  of  new  ideas  and  fresh  productions.  My 
manager  was  most  discreet,  and  never  allowed  me 
to  remain  long  enough  in  any  stand  to  cause  my 
powers  of  attraction  to  pall.  My  hold  upon  the 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  97 

favor  of  the  public  seemed  to  grow  instead  of 
wane,  and  I  was  equally  at  home  in  the  chief  cities 
of  three  continents. 

There  were  times  when  I  wearied  profoundly  of 
the  life,  when  the  clack  of  applause  became  an 
intolerable  din  in  my  ears,  and  I  craved  the  peace 
and  retirement  of  a  private  life.  But  I  knew  that 
there  must  be  something  to  take  the  place  of  the 
excitement  upon  which  I  had  so  long  depended, 
and  I  would  say  to  my  impatient  heart,  "  Wait  a 
little,  and  Lisa  will  be  of  an  age  to  comprehend 
your  position  accurately ;  then  there  shall  be  no 
more  secrecy,  and  she  shall  come  and  supply  that 
interest  whose  place  has  been  so  long  and  un- 
worthily filled  by  a  fictitious  substitute." 

And  so  four  years  more  passed  unmarked  by 
events  of  importance,  unless  I  except  the  occasions 
upon  which  I  visited  the  convent,  where  I  had  the 
delightful  satisfaction  of  watching  the  gradual 
development  of  a  sweet  and  exquisitely  lovely  girl- 
hood. I  had  come  to  love  the  child  with  an  ab- 
sorbing affection,  which  she  returned  with  a  species 
of  adoration.  She  never  questioned  me  as  to  the 
occupation  which  prevented  me  from  having  her 
constantly  with  me,  for  her  attitude  towards  me, 
worshipful  as  it  was,  yet  was  somewhat  timid  and 
constrained,  lacking  that  familiarity  which  permits 
perfect  freedom  of  intercourse.  I  believe  that  she 
thought  me  engaged  in  some  manual  employment, 

7 


98  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

for  she  would  often  kiss  my  hands  tenderly,  and 
deprecate  the  necessity  of  their  beauty  being  turned 
to  account 

She  was  developing  rapidly  both  in  mind  and 
body,  and  promised  to  be  fair  of  face,  as  she  had 
always  been  of  spirit.  Her  expression  was  ador- 
ably pure  and  innocent,  and  her  big  brown  eyes 
were  so  candid  and  trustful,  so  unsuspicious  of  evil 
or  malice,  that  their  mere  glances  penetrated  the 
slime  of  corruption  which  had  formed  over  stag- 
nant depths  of  long-slumbering  resolves,  and 
aroused  in  one  inclination  stanchly  to  range  one's 
self  upon  the  side  of  virtue.  I  never  felt  so  over- 
whelmed with  my  own  worldliness  as  when  I  was 
with  her,  and  her  ignorance  of  life  in  its  active  as- 
pect, her  absolute  unconsciousness  of  what  was 
going  on  without  the  walls  of  her  convent,  her 
inexperience  and  the  unsuspiciousness  that  antici- 
pated and  apprehended  nothing  of  the  powerful  and 
turbulent  emotions  which  make  up  the  strife  called 
existence,  at  times  terrified  me,  filling  me  with  fore- 
bodings against  that  moment  when  full  perception 
of  the  true  meaning  of  life  should  awaken  within  her. 
And  how,  among  other  disclosures,  would  the  rev- 
elation of  my  true  standing  in  the  world  affect 
her  ?  I  was  cowardly  concerning  it,  and  but  for 
the  crying  demands  of  my  love,  that  hungered  to 
have  her  with  me,  I  would  gladly  have  deferred 
the  exposition  beyond  that  seventeenth  year,  when 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  99 

I  had  promised  to  allow  myself  her  companion- 
ship. 

That  was  still  a  year  off,  however,  and  I  would 
borrow  no  trouble  on  its  account.  Especially  as 
just  then  I  had  ample  occupation  for  my  attention 
in  the  opening  up  of  new  interests  which  threat- 
ened to  somewhat  dangerously  rival  Lisa's  claims 
upon  my  exclusive  regard. 

That  winter  I  was  trying  an  experiment  which 
former  pronounced  successes  in  New  York  had 
seemed  to  warrant  testing.  I  had  leased  a  theatre 
for  the  whole  season,  giving  a  wide  and  constantly 
varied  repertoire,  and  enjoying  beyond  measure  the 
delight  of  a  fixed  establishment.  I  had  taken  a 
charming  suite  of  rooms  in  a  new  and  splendidly 
appointed  apartment  house,  where  I  had  all  the 
privacy  and  comfort  of  an  individual  home  without 
the  annoying  detail  of  housekeeping.  Jean  was 
with  me  as  companion,  poor  Kate  having  died  the 
previous  winter.  I  was  as  happy  as  a  child  with  a 
new  toy,  and  felt  a  premonition  of  greater  joy  and 
content  than  I  had  yet  known.  I  went  to  the 
trouble  of  unpacking  many  of  the  rare  and  beau- 
tiful things  I  had  accumulated  in  my  long  wan- 
derings, and  with  these  adorning  my  rooms  I  had 
reason  to  feel  proud  and  satisfied  with  their  ap- 
pearance. 

My  carriages  and  horses  were  selected  for  me  by 
men  who  understood  such  things,  and  who  saw 


ioo  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

that  all  my  stable  appointments  were  what  they 
should  be.  My  servants  were  as  well  trained  and 
imposing  as  those  of  a  duchess  could  be;  my 
menage  as  well  conducted  as  that  of  a  model 
English  household,  and  my  whole  establishment 
placed  upon  a  footing  of  elegance  and  luxury  that 
entitled  it  to  the  notice  and  commendation  of  the 
most  indifferent  or  exacting  individual.  My  gowns, 
my  whole  wardrobe,  in  fact,  had  been  fashioned  by 
French  fingers  and  designed  by  French  taste.  It 
was  not  strange  that,  with  my  beauty  at  its  best 
and  my  reputation  at  its  height,  I  should  have  at 
once  become  the  fashion  of  the  hour,  the  gossip 
of  the  clubs,  and  the  favorite  subject  of  conversa- 
tion at  five-o'clock  teas. 

And,  for  some  strange  and  unaccountable  reason, 
all  the  old-time  vanity  and  love  of  excitement  which 
had  so  long  lain  half-dormant  within  me  seemed 
suddenly  that  winter  kindled  into  new  life.  For 
years  I  had  not  thrown  myself  into  distraction  and 
diversion,  had  not  sipped  so  eagerly  and  with  such 
satisfaction  at  the  streams  of  adulation  and  ad- 
miration which  my  charms  provoked,  as  I  was 
prompted  then  to  do.  It  was  as  though  I  had  be- 
come magically  rejuvenated,  with  all  the  zest  and 
gayety  of  youth  marvellously  restored. 

"  I  do  not  know  you,  madame,"  staid  little  Jean 
would  say.  "  You  are  not  a  woman  any  more, 
but  a  girl,  younger  by  years  and  years  than  I." 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  101 

"  I  am  glad,  then,  Jeanie,"  I  would  laugh ;  "  for 
then  my  Lisa  shall  be  my  twin-sister,  and  we  will 
be  young  together." 

My  rooms  were  not  adorned  thus  artistically 
and  luxuriously  for  the  edification  of  Jean  and  me 
only.  I  entertained  much,  but  men  chiefly,  for 
with  some  few  notable  exceptions  the  women  of 
my  acquaintance  in  New  York  were  not  then 
such  as  I  chose  to  make  my  friends.  But  I  had 
ever  preferred  the  companionship  of  men,  and  did 
not  crave  that  of  my  own  sex.  Jean  amply  sufficed 
my  needs  until  such  time  as  I  might  claim  Lisa. 
Before  long,  however,  I  had  offer  made  me  of  the 
wherewithal  to  furnish  a  large  visiting-list  were  I 
so  minded,  and  the  opportunity  came  about  in  this 
fashion : 

One  day,  late  in  the  afternoon,  as  Jean  and  I 
were  returning  from  a  drive  in  the  park,  my  butler, 
on  opening  the  door,  informed  me  that  a  lady 
awaited  me  in  the  drawing-room. 

"  Where  is  her  card  ?"  I  asked,  and  he  handed 
me  a  thin  bit  of  pasteboard,  on  which  was  en- 
graved, "  Mrs.  Richard  Eton  Quintard."  Below 
it  were  an  address  and  some  intelligence  as  to  home- 
keeping  intentions.  I  read  the  name  aloud,  but  it 
was  strange  to  me,  and  conveyed  no  information 
to  my  mind.  But  Jean,  who  is  in  some  ways  a 
singularly  inconsistent  little  creature,  has  a  marked 
taste,  quite  out  of  harmony  with  her  other  charac- 


IO2  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

teristics,  for  society  gossip.  She  is  an  omnivorous 
devourer  of  "  chronique  scandaleuse,"  and  at  once 
relieved  my  perplexity. 

"  Why,  madame,"  she  ejaculated,  "  you  know 
who  she  is :  Mrs.  Dicky  Quintard.  An  awful 
swell,  you  know,  but " 

The  name  thus  abbreviated  had  a  wholly  dif- 
ferent and  more  familiar  sound. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  I  returned.  "  I  never  'should  have 
recognized  it ;  never.  '  Mrs.  Dicky !'  How  un- 
like Mrs.  Richard  Eton  Quintard  it  is!  When 
those  swell  society  women  are  a  bit  fast,  people 
first  corrupt  and  then  add  a  Y  to  the  Christian 
names  of  their  husbands.  Queer  fashion,  isn't  it  ?" 

"  Oh,  it's  plain  enough,"  Jeanie  remarked,  cyni- 
cally. "It's  the  women  themselves  that  do  the 
corrupting,  and  the  Y  is  the  modern  scarlet  letter 
which  is  an  indication  of  a  questionable  character. 
It's  perfectly  simple  when  you  come  to  look  at 
it.  But  you'll  see  her,  won't  you  ?"  she  added, 
more  earnestly. 

"Yes;  my  curiosity  is  alert.  Take  my  wrap, 
there's  a  good  girl." 

When  I  entered  the  drawing-room  I  found  my 
guest  looking  through  a  case  of  signed  photo- 
graphs of  royalties  which  had  been  presented  to 
me  by  the  originals. 

She  was  an  exceedingly  well-preserved  woman 
of  middle  age,  not  handsome,  but  exceptionally 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  103 

distinguished  in  bearing  and  manner,  groomed  to 
absolute  perfection,  and  gowned  as  well  as  myself. 
Her  reception  of  me  (for  one  could  see  that  she 
was  never  forgetful  of  the  fact  that  she  was  the 
great  lady  and  I  the  actress)  was  affable,  and  as 
cordial  as  the  difference  in  our  rank  would  permit. 
Her  face  was  hard,  and  one  would  have  staked  a 
good  deal  on  the  inference  drawn  from  its  lines 
and  expression  that  she  was  a  cold-hearted  and 
selfish  woman.  She  at  once  apologized  for  her 
intrusion  and  persistence  in  awaiting  my  re- 
turn. 

"  But  I  had  a  cherished  purpose  in  coming  to 
you,  madame,"  she  explained,  "  and  I  fear  I  am 
somewhat  tenacious  of  my  own  designs." 

I  noted  her  resolute  chin  and  the  self-willed 
folding  together  of  her  full  red  lips,  and  felt  that 
she  did  not  over-emphasize  her  own  pertinacity. 
I  bowed  and  waved  her  to  a  seat,  sinking  upon  a 
heap  of  cushions  as  I  did  so.  She  threw  a  glance 
about  the  room  and  complimented  me  upon  its 
beauty  and  arrangement,  feeling,  I  suppose,  that 
flattery  was  the  natural  pabulum  of  an  actress  and 
that  it  would  be  a  valuable  ally  in  promoting  her 
project. 

"  It  is  more  charming  even  than  I  had  imagined 
it,"  she  said,  "  and  I  had  thought  nothing  could 
quite  fulfil  the  expectations  conjured  up  by  Town- 
send  Barroll's  description  of  it.  By  the  way,  it 


104  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

was  Mr.  Barroll  who  inspired  me  with  confidence 
to  come  here." 

This  probably  by  way  of  introduction,  but  it  was 
a  false  step  to  my  favor,  for,  although  I  had  noth- 
ing in  the  world  against  the  man  she  mentioned 
by  way  of  suggesting  a  common  ground  of  ac- 
quaintanceship, yet,  public  dancer  as  I  was,  I  would 
have  hesitated  to  offer  to  a  stranger,  as  an  "  open 
sesame"  to  her  regard,  the  name  of  a  man  with 
whom  I  was  disgracefully  and  notoriously  asso- 
ciated in  the  public  mind.  And  the  intimacy  of 
Towny  Barroll  and  Mrs.  Dicky  Quintard  was  a 
matter  of  open  scandal. 

I  merely  bowed,  and  she  unfolded  her  errand. 

"  I  wish  to  give  a  function  on  the  twenty-eighth 
of  this  month,"  she  explained,  "  which  shall  eclipse 
anything  that  has  yet  been  given  this  season.  I 
want  to  provide  some  unique  feature  which  shall 
give  it  a  flavor  and  individuality  of  its  own.  The 
Duke  of  Wilton  will  be  one  of  my  guests,  and  you 
can  understand  that  I  wish  to  make  the  affair  as 
pronounced  a  success  as  possible.  I  know  that 
you  have  never  been  willing  to  dance  in  private 
houses,  but  I  have  ventured  to  hope  that  I  might 
offer  inducements  that  would  overcome  your  reluc- 
tance." 

She  certainly  possessed  a  peculiar  charm  of 
manner  which  rather  prevailed  over  the  forbidding 
egotism  of  her  personality  when  she  chose  to  exer- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  105 

cise  it.  My  customary  refusal  was  hovering  on 
my  lips  when  she  rose  and  came  towards  me, 
stooping  to  address  me  with  a  smile  of  perfect 
sympathy  and  a  frank  air  of  good-fellowship. 

"  Oh,  I  know  what  awful  bores  conventional 
love-feasts  must  seem  to  you.  I  don't  wonder 
that  you  avoid  them.  I  would,  too,  if  I  could. 
But  as  I  can't,  I  temper  them  as  much  as  possible. 
When  I  ask  people  to  afternoon  tea,  they  never 
expect  to  find  any  cream  on  my  table.  They 
know  my  tea  is  always  served  a  la  Russ.  But  they 
do  enjoy  it,  even  those  who  pretend  that  rum 
shocks  their  fastidious  palate.  Indeed,  these  are 
the  sort  that  always  drain  my  cups  to  the  dregs. 
They  get  such  flavor  so  seldom,  you  know."  She 
laughed  and  showed  her  handsome  teeth.  Then, 
extending  her  hand  as  if  with  sudden  impulse, 
"  Do  come ;  I  promise  you  you  shall  be  amused. 
There  will  really  be  considerable  fun  going.  Make 
your  terms  what  you  will,  or  let  me  send  you  an 
emerald  and  diamond  star  which  I  saw  the  other 
day  at  Tiffany's,  and  which  I  have  been  placing 
above  the  parting  of  your  beautiful  hair  ever  since 
I  have  been  here.  Come,  which  shall  it  be  ?  A 
thousand  dollars  or  the  star,  madame  ?" 

"  I  think  the  star,  madam,  if  you  are  to  receive 
me  as  a  semi-guest,"  I  replied,  rising  and  taking 
her  extended  hand.  I  considered  her  curiously, 
attentively,  wondering  why  I  had  made  an  excep- 


106  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

tion  in  her  favor,  where  heretofore  I  had  so  reso- 
lutely stood  firm.  I  was  in  no  manner  drawn  to 
her ;  indeed,  she  rather  repelled  than  attracted  me, 
although  I  could  recognize  in  her  that  indefinable 
quality  which  rendered  her  so  alluring  to  men.  It 
was  a  meretricious  and  artificial  charm;  an  ac- 
quired and  carefully  perfected  parasite  which  cov- 
ered the  rude  bark  of  an  essentially  coarse  nature 
with  an  extraneous  and  surprisingly  brilliant 
growth  of  exotic  bloom.  It  was,  perhaps,  the 
very  contrast  between  the  trunk  and  the  bloom 
that  fascinated  and  provoked  to  interest  the  be- 
holder. She  had  come  hither  determined  to  gain 
her  own  ends,  and  she  had  gained  them.  And  I 
felt,  as,  after  she  had  departed  with  many  gracious 
words  of  farewell,  I  stood  beside  the  chimney-piece 
and  reviewed  our  interview,  that  she  was  a  woman 
who  might  well  boast  of  her  tenacity  of  purpose, 
for  I  did  not  believe  that  it  often  befell  that  Mrs. 
Dicky  Quintard  failed  to  accomplish  her  aims.  I 
felt  myself  weak  and  infirm  beside  her ;  I  realized 
how  easily  she  had  conquered  my  opposition;  I 
considered  that  I  had  been  wax  in  her  hands. 
And  I  wondered  how  it  would  have  been  if  some 
greater  point  had  been  at  issue  between  us.  I 
speculated  upon  the  probability  of  my  having 
been  able  to  summon  strength  to  resist  her  bland- 
ishments or  her  temper,  had  she  seen  fit  to  exer- 
cise the  latter,  and  the  result  of  my  reflections 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  107 

was  a  feeling  of  deep  satisfaction  that  a  mere 
prejudice,  and  not  a  principle  or  a  passion,  had 
challenged  our  wills  to  combat. 

The  night  of  the  28th  of  January,  189-,  I  am 
not  likely  to  forget.  Only  two  years  ago,  is  it  ?  I 
had  thought  it  twenty.  Am  I  only  two  years 
older  by  actual  reckoning  than  that  woman  who, 
"  tricked  out  in  all  the  bravery  of  latter-day  purple 
and  fine  linen,"  was  that  evening  whirled,  with  the 
light  heart  of  a  girl  and  the  expectant  and  eager 
pleasure  of  a  child,  from  the  scene  of  one  triumph 
to  that  of  another  ?  How  could  I  have  cared  for 
it  all  so  much  ?  It  had  never  given  me  any  satis- 
faction worth  calling  such.  Yet  I  loved  it.  I 
coveted  it.  I  was  greedy  for  any  amount  of  it. 

Then,  too,  this  evening  my  ambition  was  stirred 
in  a  new  direction.  I  had  never  before  assisted  in 
any  capacity  at  a  social  function  worthy  of  being 
called  such.  I  had  often  been  begged  to  appear 
professionally  at  private  entertainments,  but  had 
always  declined  to  do  so,  and,  untarnished  as  my 
reputation  had  ever  been,  my  grade  of  work 
scarcely  entitled  me  to  receive  that  entree  into  society 
which  is  nowadays  given  to  actresses  of  the  highest 
type.  This  was  the  first  opportunity  that  had  ever 
been  offered  me  to  receive  entertainment  and  hos- 
pitality as  well  as  emolument  from  persons  of 
fashion  and  consequence,  and,  having  in  view 
Lisa's  future,  I  hoped  great  things  from  it.  For  I 


io8  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

aspired  to  a  far  loftier  social  position  for  her  than 
that  to  which  I  had  been  able  to  attain. 

It  was  about  half-past  eleven  when  I  reached 
Mrs.  Dicky's  magnificent  mansion,  which  was 
fairly  ablaze  from  attic  to  cellar.  I  had  brought 
Jean  with  me,  and  the  little  lassie  was  even  more 
excited  than  I.  Townsend  Barroll,  who  was  a 
very  good  friend  of  mine,  had  promised  to  be  on 
the  lookout  for  me,  for  I  was  actually  nervous  at 
the  prospect  of  seeing  society  at  close  range,  and, 
true  to  his  word,  there  he  stood  to  greet  our  ar- 
rival close  by  the  arm  of  the  footman  who  admit- 
ted us.  He  led  us  at  once  to  the  room  set  apart 
for  my  use,  and,  as  I  dropped  my  long  wrap  into 
Jean's  hands,  he  broke  into  enthusiastic  comment 
upon  my  appearance.  I  did  look  well;  I  had 
meant  to  let  these  women  see  that  my  beauty  was 
not  dependent  upon  artificial  means  or  stage  acces- 
sories, and  I  had  succeeded  beyond  my  anticipa- 
tions. I  had  felt,  even  before  Barroll  corroborated 
my  conviction,  that  I  had  every  reason  to  feel  quite 
satisfied  with  the  result  of  my  efforts. 

I  had  not  a  grain  of  powder  nor  a  touch  of 
rouge  upon  me.  The  cunning  hand  of  Nature 
alone  had  laid  cosmetics  upon  my  skin,  and  the 
golden  russet  of  my  hair  was  due  only  to  the  pig- 
ment which  she  had  stored  in  the  cell  at  every 
root.  I  wore  yards  and  yards  of  fleecy  tissue  of 
a  green  tint,  so  lustrous  of  hue  that  it  seemed  as 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  109 

it  floated  about  me  to  turn  to  gleaming  silver.  My 
neck  and  arms  were  bare,  but  discreetly  so,  and 
the  airy  drapery  was  simply  held  in  place  upon  the 
shoulders  by  diamond  clasps.  On  my  brow,  con- 
fining my  hair  and  threading  its  ruddy  mazes, 
sparkled  a  diamond  fillet,  and  this  and  the  clasps 
were  all  the  jewels  I  wore. 

"  Well,  madame,  you'll  arrive  to-night,  and  no 
mistake !"  Barroll  ejaculated.  "  How,  in  the  name 
of  all  that's  wonderful,  do  you  manage  to  keep  so 
young  ?  Why,  you're  not  a  day  over  twenty,  I'll 
swear.  There's  not  a  woman  below  there  to-night 
that  can  touch  you  in  the  matter  of  freshness,  I 
assure  you." 

At  that  moment,  Mrs.  Dicky,  to  whom  my  ar- 
rival had  been  announced,  came  hurriedly  into 
the  room  and  greeted  me  with  effusion.  She  was 
very  splendid  and  gorgeous,  but  her  superb  and 
costly  toilette  and  the  flash  and  sparkle  of  her 
celebrated  jewels  lent  no  charm  nor  fairness  to  her 
face. 

"  I  never  saw  anything  so  altogether  exquisite," 
she  said ;  for,  faulty  as  she  was,  Irene  Quintard  was 
wholly  without  any  petty  vanity  which  prompts 
one  woman  to  withhold  compliment  from  another. 
"  And  you  are  in  the  mood ;  I  can  tell  by  the  way 
your  eyes  shine.  Oh,  it  will  be  a  sensation, — hey, 
Towny  ?" 

She  was  in  the  best  of  high  spirits,  and  chatted 


i  j  o  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

volubly  as  we  passed  down  a  side-staircase  and 
entered  the  screened-off  portion  of  the  ball-room, 
where  a  temporary  stage  had  been  erected  for  my 
use.  My  already  excited  temperament  caught  the 
contagion  of  her  enthusiasm,  and  I  knew  there  was 
no  fear  of  my  disappointing  her  hopes.  Nor  did 
I.  But  my  success  was  crowned  with  sad  disaster 
to  myself. 

The  stage  had  been  apparently  a  hastily  con- 
structed affair,  carelessly  and  indifferently  joined 
together.  I  had  scarcely  begun  to  dance  when  I 
discovered  that  the  flooring  was  weak  and  un- 
stable, but  the  old  fever  was  in  my  blood  and  I 
could  not  stop  to  consider  possible  consequences. 
The  strain  upon  it  would  not  be  heavy,  and  it 
would  certainly  last  for  the  ten  or  fifteen  minutes 
that  I  should  require  it.  Meanwhile  I  had  noted 
one  quite  insecure  board  and  would  take  heed  to 
avoid  it.  But  the  precaution  was  forgotten  almost 
before  the  first  burst  of  applause  had  died  away. 
With  that  brilliant  assemblage  of  the  pick  and 
choice  of  New  York  swelldom  hanging  in  ecstasy 
over  my  movements,  was  it  likely  that  I  should 
long  consider  such  a  trifle  as  self-preservation  ? 

I  had  all  but  fulfilled  the  measure  of  my  allotted 
time ;  hundreds  of  rapt  and  enchanted  eyes  were 
gazing  spell-bound  upon  me ;  murmurs  of  aston- 
ishment and  admiration  no  longer  to  be  repressed 
were  caressing  with  subtle  flattery  my  willing  ears, 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  1 1 1 

when — a  creak,  the  quick,  sharp  clap  of  a  board 

snapped  out  of  position,  and  then Before  I  fell 

I  had  presence  of  mind  enough  to  shoot  a  tele- 
graphic glance  at  the  man  who  ran  the  curtain. 
He  had  wit  enough  to  comprehend  and  respond 
instantaneously,  and  so  but  few  in  that  wildly 
enthusiastic  gathering,  whose  high-bred  composure 
had  for  once  wholly  defaulted,  dreamed  that  the 
woman  they  were  so  strenuously  seeking  to  re- 
call was  lying  prone  upon  the  curtained  platform, 
groaning  over  the  hurt  of  an  ankle  that  seemed  to 
have  suddenly  gathered  unto  itself  all  the  pain  in 
Christendom. 

But  some  there  were  who  understood  the  event 
exactly  as  it  occurred.  One  of  these  persons  was 
Jean,  who  was  standing  back  of  the  curtain,  beside 
the  stage.  Another  was  a  young  man  whom  I 
had  often  seen  about  town,  and  whom  I  knew  to 
be  Allan  Quintard,  Mrs.  Dicky's  son.  A  third  was 
a  quiet,  self-contained-looking  man  of  middle  age, 
whom  I  did  not  at  all  recognize.  And  a  fourth  was 
a  servant  in  the  livery  of  the  house,  whom  I  remem- 
bered passing  as  I  entered  the  apartment  with  my 
hostess.  In  his  strange  garb  it  was  not  singular 
that  I  did  not  know  him.  Later  I  discovered  him 
to  be  my  father.  Others  there  were  who  soon 
came  hastening  in,  but  these  four  were  the  first  to 
reach  me,  and  theirs  were  the  faces  I  gazed  into  as 
I  regained  consciousness.  For,  of  course,  I  did 


H2  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

the  correct  thing  and  fainted.  My  emotional  tem- 
perament always  responds  in  true  feminine  fashion 
to  all  the  demands  made  upon  it 

It  was  the  somewhat  stern-looking  stranger  who 
first  accosted  me,  addressing  me  and  directing 
those  upon  whom  he  laid  his  commands  with  an 
air  of  authority. 

"  Will  you  allow  me  to  lift  you  ?"  he  asked.  "  I 
am  very  strong,  and  it  will  be  much  more  com- 
fortable for  you  than  a  litter  would  be." 

He  stooped  as  he  spoke,  obviously  intending  to 
have  his  own  way,  and  not  caring  a  jot  whether 
or  no  I  should  dissent.  As  he  raised  me  (by  no 
means  a  feather)  in  a  pair  of  arms  that  never  so 
much  as  quivered  beneath  the  weight,  he  bade 
young  Quintard  go  telephone  for  a  doctor,  sum- 
moned Jean  to  accompany  us,  and  ordered  the 
footman  to  precede  us  and  open  the  doors  through 
which  we  must  pass. 

As  we  reached  the  completely  embowered  hall, 
Mrs.  Dicky  came  hastening  towards  us  with  Mr. 
Barroll  in  tow. 

"  Oh,  madame !  oh,  Richard !"  she  exclaimed, 
"how  terrible  this  is!  I  have  only  just  heard  of 
it!  Is  it  very  bad?  Can  you  carry  her  alone, 
Richard?  Don't  you  want  Mr.  Barroll  to  help 
you  ?" 

She  really  seemed  much  distressed  and  con- 
cerned, but  she  felt  that  she  was  no  nurse,  and 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  113 

that  it  was  a  genuine  relief  to  her  when  her  hus- 
band replied,  curtly, — 

"  No,  I  do  not  need  Barroll,  nor  you  either, 
Irene.  Madame  has  her  companion  here,  and  we 
have  sent  for  a  surgeon.  We  have  all  the  help 
we  require.  You  had  better  go  back  to  your 
guests." 

And  she  went,  after  a  few  words  of  regret  and 
commiseration  to  me.  And  he  and  I  went  on  to- 
gether, I  held  carefully  but  indifferently  in  his 
clasp,  with  my  light  robes  trailing  behind  us,  and 
but  one  thought  filling  my  mind,  and  that  was  a 
mere  stupid  reflection  upon  the  intolerable  ache  in 
my  ankle.  Think  of  it,  oh,  my  soul!  In  that 
supreme  moment  your  one  consideration  was  that 
of  a  poor  and  trifling  physical  infirmity ! 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MY  injury,  though  painful,  was  not  serious.  It 
was  only  a  strain  of  certain  ligaments,  but  the 
surgeon  insisted  that  I  should  not  be  moved  even 
from  the  library  where  I  lay,  as  perfect  rest  he 
held  to  be  the  essential  element  in  the  promotion 
of  a  speedy  recovery. 

Therefore  Jean  was  despatched  homeward  for 
certain  toilet  requisites,  a  bed  was  improvised  for 
my  accommodation,  and  I  found  myself  most  un- 
expectedly installed  beneath  Mrs.  Dicky  Quin- 
tard's  roof  as  her  uninvited  guest. 

For  three  days  I  remained  there,  during  which 
time  the  theatre  was,  of  course,  closed.  Those 
three  days  were,  without  doubt,  the  happiest  I  had 
ever  spent.  My  hostess,  although  most  consid- 
erate and  solicitous  of  my  comfort  and  well-being, 
was  far  too  busy  a  woman  to  find  great  leisure  for 
any  individual  claim,  but  others  there  were  who 
made  it  their  special  business  to  provide  for  my 
amusement  and  to  guard  against  my  carrying 
from  their  luxurious  home  the  impression  of  its 
being  a  mere  wearisome  place  of  detention.  The 
master  of  the  house  and  his  son  saw  to  it  that  I 
had  entertainment  as  well  as  ease  of  body. 
114 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  115 

The  surgeon's  orders  had  obliged  me  to  appro- 
priate Mr.  Quintard's  especial  sanctum,  and,  per- 
haps because  habit  had  accustomed  his  feet  to 
turn  naturally  in  that  direction,  or  possibly.because 
from  the  first  moment  of  our  acquaintance  a  mu- 
tual attachment  established  itself  between  us,  or  it 
may  be  that  he  felt  himself  in  a  measure  respon- 
sible for  the  restoration  of  the  woman  who  had 
suffered  through  the  carelessness  of  his  own  hire- 
lings,— however  it  was  I  cannot  say ;  only  this  I 
know,  that  during  my  invasion  of  his  premises, 
Richard  Quintard  devoted  the  major  part  of  his 
time  to  solacing  and  diverting  my  hours  of  impris- 
onment. 

I  liked  him  from  the  start.  There  was  that  in 
the  expression  of  the  thin,  high-bred  face,  in  the 
look  of  the  still  gray  eyes,  in  the  composure  of 
the  lips,  the  one  really  beautiful  feature  in  an  other- 
wise irregular  countenance,  which  indicated  the 
attainment  of  great  self-control, — a  quality  which  I, 
being  void  thereof  to  a  miserable  extent,  do  most 
fervently  admire.  His  personality  was  restful  and 
appealed  to  my  sensibility.  His  presence  was 
agreeable  to  my  nervous  and  high-strung  nature 
as  a  cool  draught  to  a  feverish  patient.  He  seemed 
a  man  whose  heart  and  mind  and  body  were  ever 
at  leisure,  but  one  felt  that  the  leisure  was  not  a 
native  quality,  but  that  it  had  been  earned  by 
strenuous  labor  in  the  cause  of  self-adjustment. 


1 1 6  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

There  were  marks  of  hard  service  upon  the  brow 
and  about  the  eyes  and  mouth. 

A  man  less  adapted  to  one's  preconceived  idea 
of  Mrs.  Dicky's  husband  it  is  impossible  to  imag- 
ine. Every  one  knew  that  the  incumbent  of  the 
post  was  socially  a  cipher,  and,  therefore,  if  one 
ever  considered  him  individually  at  all,  it  was  to 
draw  him  a  wholly  colorless  and  characterless 
being,  thoroughly  subordinate  to  a  stronger  nature 
in  every  way.  Probably  the  scandalously  long 
tether  accorded  her  and  the  unrestricted  liberty — 
or  perhaps  license  is  the  better  word — of  which  she 
boldly  availed  herself  gave  natural  rise  to  these 
conclusions,  and  created  the  impression  that  Mrs. 
Dicky  was  supreme  dictator  in  her  own  house- 
hold. 

Such  was  not  the  case,  however.  When  a  ques- 
tion arose  directly  affecting  himself  or  his  son 
Allan,  the  master  made  his  will  known  and  his 
authority  felt  in  a  manner  there  was  no  contro- 
verting. But  these  occasions  were  few,  and  ordi- 
narily Richard  Quintard  was  content  to  cultivate 
that  leisure  which  had  come  to  seem  to  him  life's 
best  gift  at  the  expense  of  some  falling  off  in  the 
high  regard  of  his  fellows.  But  those  who  knew 
him  well  valued  him  no  less  on  account  of  this 
passivity.  Such  knew  that  to  live  in  harmony,  if 
not  in  sympathy,  with  the  mother  of  his  son  for 
that  son's  sake  was  a  resolve  to  which  the  man 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  1 1 7 

had  been  sacrificing  all  through  his  married  life, 
and  to  which  it  was  his  purpose  still  to  sacri- 
fice until  that  son  should  leave  home  to  set  up 
his  own  establishment  elsewhere.  For  the  woman 
herself  he  cared  not  a  jot,  nor  ever  had  except  for 
a  brief  season  when  she  had  fascinated  his  boyish 
imagination  through  her  originality  and  bold  reck- 
lessness. 

She  was  his  senior  by  five  years,  and  had  been  a 
scheming  woman  when  he  was  only  an  ingenuous 
lad,  cursed  with  a  great  inheritance.  Her  poverty 
had  made  her  absolutely  dependent  on  his  good- 
will, and  so,  dangerously  near  destruction  as  she 
had  guided  her  matrimonial  bark,  she  had  yet  had 
wit  enough  to  keep  it  on  the  weather  side  of  the 
law.  Besides  which  she  was  passionately  attached 
to  her  son.  Of  that  there  can  be  no  doubt.  I 
consider  Irene  Quintard  an  absolutely  selfish  and 
cold-hearted  woman  excepting  as  concerns  her 
son.  But  I  believe  that  she  is  as  sincerely  attached 
to  him,  as  devoted  to  what  she  thinks  his  best 
interests,  as  any  woman  can  possibly  be  to  her 
child.  Her  love  for  him  is  a  genuine  passion,  and 
it  alone  modifies  my  dislike  of  her. 

He  simply  lived  in  my  room  from  the  moment 
I  had  finished  breakfast  till  the  late  hour  at  night 
at  which  I  habitually  retired.  It  was  not  strange 
that  I  could  entertain  a  lad  of  his  age.  My  varied 
experiences  had  furnished  me  with  material  for 


1 1 8  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

ample  and  amusing  discourse,  and  he  listened  with 
eager  ears  to  all  that  fell  from  my  lips. 

He  quite  charmed  me  because  he  very  greatly 
resembled  the  young  Spaniard  Coello,  but  also  I 
liked  him  on  his  own  account, — he  was  so  frank 
and  lovable.  A  strong  tie  existed  between  him 
and  his  father,  and  it  was  plain  that  the  elder  had 
powerfully  disciplined  and  influenced  the  younger 
mind. 

I  had  no  visitors  save  those  two  and  occasion- 
ally the  perfunctory  flitting  in  and  out  of  my 
hostess,  for  I  had  desired  that  all  callers  should  be 
excluded,  having  sufficient  company  in  the  two 
men  and  my  little  Jean.  It  was  a  different  sort  of 
existence  from  any  I  had  ever  led,  more  intimate 
and  of  closer  companionship,  and  I  enjoyed  it 
beyond  measure. 

There  was  but  one  drawback.  That  was  the 
consciousness  that  in  that  same  great  and  splendid 
house  where  I  was  being  petted  as  an  honored 
guest  my  father  was  serving  as  a  menial.  The 
thought  was  ever  present  with  me  and  troubled 
me  sadly.  I  could  not  put  it  from  me,  and,  as  ill 
luck  would  have  it,  Picot,  as  he  was  called,  was 
the  footman  specially  detailed  to  wait  upon  my 
bell.  Therefore,  twenty  times  a  day  was  I  obliged 
to  suffer  the  unwelcome  reminder  of  his  presence. 

I  dwelt  much  upon  the  subject  of  relieving  him 
without  his  knowledge  of  the  source  which  should 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  119 

supply  him.  Acknowledge  him  I  never  would. 
Not  that  I  was  possessed  of  that  mean  vanity 
which  makes  one  ashamed  to  recognize  a  friend  or 
relative  of  fallen  fortunes.  But  I  knew  that  to 
acknowledge  his  paternity  was  to  open  the  flood- 
gates to  a  stream  of  importunity  and  annoyance 
with  which  I  had  no  wish  to  submerge  my  life. 
Nothing  drew  me  to  him,  and  I  had  but  one  in- 
stinct in  his  regard,  which  was  to  avoid  him  as 
much  as  possible.  Nevertheless  he  was  my  father ; 
I  was  a  woman  of  fortune,  and  he  sunk  to  the  low 
level  of  domestic  service;  how  could  I  turn  my 
back  upon  the  fact  of  my  relationship  when  he  so 
needed  the  help  that  I  was  amply  able  to  afford 
him? 

That  he  had  not  forgotten  the  old  grudge 
against  me  I  could  see  by  the  malignant  expres- 
sion of  his  eyes  as  they  fell  upon  me.  But,  filled 
with  the  assurance  bred  of  a  fairly  long  career  of 
success  and  triumph,  I  scorned  the  possibility  of 
so  poor  a  creature  doing  me  a  harm. 

At  the  end  of  three  days  my  ankle  was  suf- 
ficiently recovered  to  permit  of  my  returning  home. 
It  was  a  home-sick  moment  to  me  when  I  stood 
alone  for  a  moment  in  the  beautiful  room  and  bade 
good-by  to  surroundings  which  in  so  short  a  time 
I  had  grown  to  love  so  dearly.  I  even  think  the 
tears  were  in  my  foolish  eyes,  for  I  weep  easily ; 
and  when  presently  I  was  joined  by  Richard 


1 20  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

Quintard,  who  had  come  to  conduct  me  to  my 
carriage,  I  fear  it  was  a  sort  of  sorry  April  face 
I  turned  upon  him, — a  face  in  which  conventional 
smiles  tried  to  rout  sad  regret. 

"  You  have  been  very  good  to  me,"  I  said,  ex- 
tending an  ungloved  hand  to  him.  "  I  do  not 
know  how  to  express  my  gratitude  for  your  hos- 
pitality and  for  the  pleasure  I  have  received  be- 
neath your  roof.  I  am  one  to  whom  the  word 
'  home'  is  a  meaningless  term.  In  the  last  three 
days  I  have  gained  some  insight  into  its  real  sig- 
nificance." 

His  lip  curled  slightly  as  he  took  my  hand. 

"  I  would  not  try  to  realize  the  ideal  value  of 
the  word  in  my  house,"  he  returned.  "  I  am  sure 
our  meagre  illustration  would  be  quite  unfair  to 
the  possibilities  the  word  of  such  exquisitely  ten- 
der potentialities  contains.  If  you  have  been  com- 
fortable here,  I  am  glad.  You  have  brought  sun- 
shine into  my  dull  den,  and  the  pleasant  memory 
of  your  presence  here  will  often  cheer  my  soli- 
tude." 

He  was  so  cool  and  indifferent,  albeit  courteous ; 
his  self-poise  was  so  complete,  while  mine  was  so 
defective,  that  I  was  prompted  to  stir  him  to  some 
show  of  feeling,  to  some  expression  of  real  regret 
at  my  departure.  I  dropped  my  eyes  and  sighed ; 
then  raised  them,  still  moist,  to  his. 

"  You  cannot  imagine  how  lonely  a  life,  even  in 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  121 

the  full  midst  of  worldly  success,  may  be,"  I  said, 
softly.  "  You  think  it  strange,  doubtless,  that  my 
eyes  are  wet  at  leaving  a  stranger's  house  wherein 
I  have  sojourned  so  short  a  time.  You  cannot 
understand  emotion  bred  of  such  slight  cause. 
But  I  have  grown  to  love  it  here  even  in  these  few 
days,  and  I  hate  to  return  to  the  public  glare  and 
excitement  of  my  old  life.  I  cannot  expect  that 
you,  with  all  your  manifold  interests,  should  feel 
my  absence ;  but  I  am  a  lonely  woman,  notwith- 
standing my  profession,  and  I  shall  miss  what  I 
have  enjoyed  here,— oh,  more  than  you  can  con- 
ceive." 

It  was  an  unwarrantable  attempt,  this  that  I  was 
deliberately  making  upon  his  indifference.  But 
his  absolute  self-possession  provoked  my  vanity, 
and  perhaps  already  the  germ  of  a  warmer  feeling 
was  generating  in  my  heart  on  his  account.  At 
all  events,  a  throb  of  real  satisfaction  thrilled  me  as 
I  saw  the  light  that  I  had  wished  to  kindle  flash 
into  his  eyes.  He  knit  his  brow,  and  I  felt  the 
hand  that  held  mine  contract  for  an  instant. 

"  If  you  are  a  lonely  woman  with  your  freedom 
and  opportunities,"  he  rejoined,  in  a  low,  quick 
tone,  "  it  must  be  by  your  own  inclinations.  But 
do  not,  I  beg  of  you,  make  the  mistake  of  believ- 
ing that  because  a  life  is  companioned  it  is  the  less 
solitary.  There  may  be  worse  cases  of  isolation 
than  those  caused  by  mere  solitude.  I  shall  miss 


122  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

you  ;  I  am  sorry  to  have  you  go.  It  is  long  since 
I  have  enjoyed  anything  so  much  as  your  stay  in 
my  house.  But  I  shall  come  to  see  you ;  I  may, 
may  I  not  ?" 

I  gave  a  hasty  assent,  for  at  that  instant  my 
hostess  entered  the  room  to  bid  me  farewell.  She 
was  closely  followed  by  a  footman,  Picot,  who 
came  to  announce  the  carriage.  As  Mrs.  Dicky 
had  entered  upon  the  discussion  of  some  domestic 
topic  with  her  husband,  I  took  advantage  of  their 
preoccupation  to  approach  the  servant  with  the  tip 
which  I  had  prepared  for  him.  This,  heedless  of 
the  fact  that  its  size  would  naturally  arouse  the 
man's  suspicion  as  to  the  disinterestedness  of  the 
motive  that  prompted  it,  I  had  made  large  out  of  all 
sort  of  proportion  to  the  occasion.  I  had  thought 
it  a  good  opportunity  to  supply  my  father  with  a 
sum  which,  judiciously  expended,  would  keep  him 
in  comfort  until  I  could  decide  upon  some  way  of 
portioning  him  without  disclosing  my  identity.  It 
was  five  hundred  dollars  that  I  had  the  folly  to 
place  in  the  hand  which  was  ready  for  a  compara- 
tive pittance.  As  he  felt  the  roll  of  bills  he  glanced 
quickly  down  at  them,  and  then,  observing  the 
denominations  of  some,  he  shot  a  perplexed  and 
questioning  look,  that  was  overflowing  with  insin- 
uation, at  my  face. 

"  I  understand,  of  course,  that  this  is  hush- 
money,"  it  said  as  plainly  as  speech, "  but  what  for  ?" 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  123 

Before  he  could  recover  from  his  stupefaction 
sufficiently  to  thank  me,  his  master,  having  ob- 
served the  transaction,  came  forward. 

"  Pardon  me,  madame,"  he  said,  "  but  it  is  one 
of  the  rules  of  my  household  that  my  servants  are 
not  .to  accept  fees."  He  held  out  his  hand  to 
Picot.  "  I  will  return  your  tip,  Picot ;  you  know 
the  rules  of  the  servants'  hall,  I  suppose  ?" 

The  man  had  no  choice  but  to  obey.  But  vails 
of  such  magnitude  are  not  sacrificed  without  dis- 
inclination, and  the  sharp,  sallow  face  looked  omi- 
nously ugly  as  the  thin,  covetous  hand  delivered 
up  its  treasure  to  Quintard. 

He  looked  surprised  and  shocked  as  he  felt  the 
substantial  thickness  of  the  roll,  and  even  his 
good-breeding  could  not  prevent  his  glancing 
inquisitively  at  the  amount  he  had  received. 

"  Why,  surely,  madame,  you  have  made  a  mis- 
take!" he  exclaimed,  deliberately  inspecting  the 
bills.  "  Excuse  me,  but  in  feeing  my  servants  do 
you  mean  to  discharge  at  an  excessive  rate  a 
board-bill  which  has  never  been  presented  ?  This 
is  five  hundred  dollars  that  Picot  has  returned  to 
me."  He  addressed  me  haughtily,  in  a  tone  of 
great  annoyance. 

I  flushed  and  wished  the  earth  would  swallow 
me.  I  was  fearfully  embarrassed,  for  I  realized 
how  wholly  unwarrantable  my  action  must  appear 
in  their  eyes.  It  must  appear  to  my  hosts  either 


1 24  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

as  if  I  were  trying  to  acquit  myself  of  every  sug- 
gestion of  indebtedness  to  them,  and  that  at  an 
exorbitant  rate,  or  else  as  if  I  were  trying  to  im- 
press the  household  with  a  sense  of  my  lavish 
generosity  and  extravagant  disregard  of  money. 
My  embarrassment  was  obvious  to  all,  but  Mrs. 
Quintard  tactfully  came  to  my  relief. 

"  Oh,  Richard,"  she  expostulated,  carelessly, 
"what  an  awful  row  you  do  make  over  trifles? 
Why  should  you  make  a  personal  matter  of  the 
fact  that  madame  has  discovered  in  Picot  a  fellow- 
artist  to  whom  fortune  has  been  unkind,  and  that 
she  has  sought  to  relieve  him  ?  Don't  be  so  tragic 
over  nothing." 

Her  husband's  face  cleared  as  she  spoke,  and  I 
could  have  hugged  her  for  her  ready  wit.  My 
host  turned  to  me,  still  holding  out  the  money  for 
my  acceptance,  however. 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon  for  my  scolding,"  he 
said,  in  a  more  clement  voice ;  "  I  had  not  consid- 
ered that  there  might  be  other  motives.  Still,  sorry 
as  I  am  to  dispossess  a  needy  confrere  of  your 
charity,  I  prefer  that  it  should  not  be  bestowed 
under  the  present  circumstances.  Picot,  you  may 
thank  madame  for  her  kindly  intentions  and  go." 

And  there  the  matter  rested  for  the  present. 
Jean  and  I  returned  to  our  temporary  home,  where 
I  did  not  miss  my  late  surroundings  as  much  as  I 
had  anticipated  doing,  for  my  late  companions  be- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  125 

came  my  frequent  visitors.  Indeed,  Allan  became 
a  veritable  enfant  gate  de  ma  maison.  He  and 
Jean  grew  to  be  warm  friends  and  the  best  of  com- 
rades, and  when  I  wished  to  be  alone  I  would  send 
them  off  together,  easy  in  the  assurance  that  each 
would  entertain  the  other.  The  boy  was  going 
through  a  species  of  calf-love  for  me  which  filled 
him  with  exaltation  and  enthusiasm,  and  which  im- 
mensely amused  me,  for  I  knew  that  no  harm  would 
come  to  him  through  it,  and  it  made  me  feel  young 
again,  exultant  only  to  perceive  that  I  was  yet  capa- 
ble of  inspiring  so  pure  and  ingenuous  a  passion. 

He  was  the  dearest  sort  of  lad,  winning,  noble 
in  thought  and  impulse,  generous  and  sincere. 
About  me,  of  course,  there  hung  that  atmosphere 
of  unreality  and  illusion  which  ever  envelops  the 
actress  from  the  stand-point  of  the  layman.  This 
placed  a  fictitious  value  upon  me  in  his  eyes,  and 
caused  him  to  regard  me  as  a  creature  quite  "  too 
bright  and  good  for  human  nature's  daily  food." 
His  manner  of  addressing  me  was  so  different 
from  that  which  he  used  towards  Jean  that  she 
was  wont  to  allude  to  herself  and  me  when  he 
was  about  as  the  "  seraph  and  mortal." 

He  and  his  father  rarely  met  at  my  house.  I 
grew  so  greedy  of  the  visits  of  Richard  Quintard 
before  long  that  I  hated  to  share  them  with  any 
one,  and  so,  being  accustomed  to  receiving  hfm  at 
about  a  certain  hour,  I  easily  arranged  matters  so 


1 26  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

that  I  should  be  alone  at  that  hour.  He  knew  that 
his  son  came  frequently  to  see  me,  but  I  discovered 
later  that  he  was  not  aware  how  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  my  life  he  had  become. 

And  so  a  couple  of  months  passed  with  but  one 
drawback  to  my  happiness.  That  was  to  the  im- 
portunities of  my  father,  who,  suspecting  that  I 
had  some  motive  for  conciliating  him,  bled  me 
without  mercy.  It  was  only  about  a  week  after  I 
left  the  Quintards  before  he  paid  his  initial  visit, 
humbly  petitioning  for  the  restoration  of  the  sum 
which  he  had  been  forced  to  return.  My  readiness 
to  give  it  to  him  again  confirmed  his  former  sus- 
picions regarding  my  disinterestedness  in  so  largely 
enriching  him,  and  an  acquaintance  which  he  had 
recently  made  was  the  means  of  affording  him  what 
he  supposed  to  be  the  clue  to  my  bribery. 

One  night  as  I  was  playing,  my  eyes,  roaming 
about  the  house,  chanced  to  light  upon  two  famil- 
iar faces,  peering  down  upon  the  stage  from  the 
upper  balcony.  One  of  these  was  the  face  of  my 
father ;  that  of  his  companion  was  a  countenance 
which  I  had  well-nigh  forgotten,  for  it  was  years 
since  I  had  encountered  it.  But,  though  time  may 
obliterate  from  the  memory  the  features  of  one's 
erstwhile  dearest  friends,  one  rarely  forgets  the  face 
of  an  enemy,  and  so  I  immediately  recognized  the 
woman  before  me,  faded,  old,  and  ugly  as  she  had 
become.  It  was  none  other  than  Nita  Conquest 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  127 

The  change  in  her  was  pitiable,  and  bespoke  a 
life  of  dissipation  and  disorder,  resulting,  as  such 
lives  must,  in  the  loss  of  all  feminine  charm  and 
beauty.  She  was  gazing  at  me  with  an  expression 
of  bitter  hatred  and  envy,  and  as  I  finished  the  aria  I 
was  singing  I  heard  a  loud,  sharp  hiss  mingle  with 
the  applause  that  greeted  me.  It  was  the  first  time 
that  sibilant  sound  had  ever  greeted  an  effort  of 
mine,  and,  though  I  knew  from  how  low  a  source 
it  proceeded,  it  nevertheless  disturbed  me  much, 
for  I  had  special  cause  that  night  to  wish  the  per- 
formance to  pass  off  creditably. 

For  the  first  time  Richard  Quintard  made  one 
of  my  audience.  He  was  no  theatre-goer,  and  had 
little  interest  in  any  sort  of  social  diversion,  being 
a  lover  of  out-of-door  sports,  and  an  athlete  of  no 
mean  order.  But  he  had  expressed  a  desire  to  see 
me  in  what  I  considered  my  best  role,  and  I  had 
chosen  that  he  should  receive  his  first  impression 
from  the  opera  given  that  night.  It  was  called 
"  The  Queen  of  Hearts,"  I,  of  course,  being  in  the 
title-role. 

The  music  was  charming,  the  libretto  brilliant 
and  sparkling ;  I  was  so  en  rapport  with  the  motif  of 
the  piece  that  my  dancing-genius  felt  itself  inspired 
to  its  most  exquisite  achievement,  and  altogether 
I  was  well  content  that  a  judgment  of  my  abilities 
should  be  formed  from  this  medium  of  their  por- 
trayal. 


128  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

From  the  moment  of  my  first  appearance  I 
watched  that  thin,  grave  face  in  the  orchestra- 
stalls,  hoping  to  see  its  immobility  involuntarily 
stirred  to  admiration  and  pleasure.  But  its  look  of 
mere  well-bred  attention  never  altered  a  jot.  When 
that  hiss  wheezed  through  the  house,  glancing 
swiftly  at  him,  I  saw  him  start  as  if  he  had  been 
struck  from  behind,  and  cast  a  sort  of  threatening 
challenge  of  the  eyes  about  the  auditorium.  When 
I  came  on  in  the  third  act  his  seat  was  vacant. 

The  next  day  about  noon  I  received  another 
visit  from  my  father.  This  was  the  third  since  my 
accident,  and  I  perceived  in  an  instant  that  he  had 
discovered  something  that  gave  him  an  assurance 
in  soliciting  me  which  he  had  hitherto  lacked.  He 
urged  his  needs  quite  masterfully  in  a  manner  very 
different  from  that  cringing,  uncertain  spirit  he  had 
formerly  displayed.  He  gave  me  to  understand 
that  he  fully  comprehended  my  past  complacency, 
and  should  exact  a  continuance  of  it  in  the  future. 
Indeed,  he  made  it  plainly  evident  to  me  that  he 
had  acquired  the  wherewithal  to  carry  on  a  very 
pretty  business  of  blackmail,  and  that  he  proposed 
pursuing  such  to  his  own  considerable  advantage. 
I  listened  in  silence  to  his  demands  with  their 
undercurrent  of  threatened  exposure  constantly 
bubbling  to  the  surface,  and,  when  he  finished,  kept 
him  waiting  a  few  minutes  while  I  looked  him 
contemptuously  over  and  considered  my  reply. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  1 29 

I  had  no  doubt  that  he  had  in  some  way  hap- 
pened upon  the  fact  of  his  relation  to  me.  His 
own  small  and  mean  nature  led  him  to  believe, 
doubtless,  that  I  would  pay  much  to  prevent  an 
acknowledgment  of  his  paternity,  not  because  I 
loathed  the  thought  of  intimate  association  with 
such  a  despicable  creature  and  feared  his  harassing 
me,  but  because  my  pride  shrank  from  allowing 
the  world  to  know  that  I  had  for  father  one 
who  had  sunk  to  the  low  social  level  of  domestic 
service.  That  would  be  the  motive  to  which  he 
would  assuredly  attribute  my  desire  for  secrecy. 

Now,  I  am  perhaps  peculiarly  constituted. 
While  I  have  many  of  the  weaknesses  of  my  sex 
ill-proportionately  developed,  others  I  do  not  pos- 
sess at  all.  For  instance,  I  have  almost  mascu- 
line courage  when  danger  menaces  me,  and  he 
who  thinks  to  intimidate  me  by  means  of  threats 
will  fail  by  reason  of  his  methods.  So,  while  I 
would  have  paid  voluntarily  a  very  considerable 
amount  to  have  escaped  the  necessity  of  openly 
avowing  my  connection  with  him,  now  that  he 
threatened  me  with  disclosure,  I  would  withhold 
from  him  even  a  penny  of  relief  until  he  should  be 
convinced  that  what  I  gave  I  gave  of  my  own  free 
will.  After  a  few  minutes  I  asked  him  a  question. 

"  How  did  you  find  it  out  ?" 

He  gave  a  sneering  laugh  which  made  me  hate 
him  more  violently  than  ever. 

9 


130  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

"  Through  an  old  friend  of  yours.  She  also 
has  a  daughter  there." 

"  What !"  The  word  sped  from  my  lips  like  a 
shot  from  a  catapult. 

"  You  have  not,  I  suppose,  forgotten  Nita  Con- 
quest? She  has  a  daughter  at  the  convent  as 
well  as  you." 

So  this  was  what  had  armed  him  with  confidence 
and  audacity.  He  was  still  unconscious  of  the 
other  hold  he  had  upon  me.  But  he  could  well 
afford  to  remain  ignorant  of  that;  this  was  a 
thousandfold  more  menacing  to  my  peace  and 
tranquillity.  I  am  far  too  emotional  to  be  logical. 
So  alarmed  was  I  at  the  thought  that  my  old 
enemy  had  discovered  the  retreat  of  my  child  and 
might  revenge  herself  upon  me  by  revealing  pre- 
maturely to  Lisa  the  fact  of  my  public  career,  that 
I  did  not  stop  to  ask  myself  why  my  father  should 
suppose  me  willing  to  pay  hush-money  to  secure 
silence  concerning  his  recently-gained  intelligence. 
I  had  but  one  concern,  one  anxiety, — to  prevail 
upon  him  to  use  his  influence  with  Nita  Conquest 
to  preserve  my  secret  from  my  child.  Yet  still, 
my  antagonism  was  in  arms  against  his  vile 
methods,  and  I  was  determined  to  settle  finally 
the  matter  of  future  extortion.  Even  were  I  to 
sacrifice  some  portion  of  Lisa's  full  faith  and 
devotion,  I  must  decline  to  permit  myself  to  be- 
come the  victim  of  a  blackmailer. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  131 

"  How  much  do  you  expect  to  make  from  your 
discovery  ?"  I  asked  him  directly. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders,  lifting  his  yellow 
brow  and  turning  up  his  eye-balls  as  if  asking 
Heaven  to  satisfy  my  question. 

"  It  all  depends  upon  what  madame  considers  it 
worth,"  he  replied.  "  Some  ladies  feel  a  delicacy 
greater  than  others  about  the  indiscretions  of 
youth,  and " 

I  sprang  to  my  feet  and  stood  wrathful  and  in- 
dignant before  him. 

"  You  miserable  scoundrel !"  I  cried,  quivering 
at  the  indignity  he  had  cast  upon  me.  "  So  this 
is  what  you  imagine  I  am  willing  to  pay  you  to 
conceal !  Do  you  suppose  that  I  am  ashamed  to 
acknowledge  the  one  glory  of  my  life  ? — the  one 
joy  that  Heaven  has  given  me  ?  Do  you  believe 
for  an  instant  that  I  would  conceal  the  fact  of  my 
motherhood  ? — that  I  would  hide  and  turn  my  back 
upon  the  highest  dignity  that  crowns  a  woman's 
existence  ?  What  else  in  life  have  I  to  be  proud 
of  except  that  I  have  given  to  the  world  an  im- 
mortal soul  ?  Do  you  think  the  ephemeral  noto- 
riety I  have  gained  in  my  profession  can  even  be 
placed  for  comparison  beside  the  fact  that  I  have 
perpetuated  myself  in  a  purer,  higher  form  ?  But, 
bah !  What  use  is  it  to  try  to  make  you  under- 
stand !  Let  me  come  down  to  the  mercantile  level 
of  your  intelligence.  I  have  a  secret  concerning 


132  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

my  daughter,  it  is  true.  But  it  is  not  what  you 
have  conceived  it  to  be.  The  world  has  no  share 
in  it ;  it  is  wholly  between  her  and  me.  For  this 
reason,  however,  it  is  of  vital  consequence  to  me, 
and  I  am  willing  to  pay  well  for  its  preservation." 

A  mercenary  glitter  came  into  his  black  eyes 
and  he  moved  restlessly  upon  his  chair,  as  if  im- 
patient of  my  delay  in  reaching  the  sole  point  that 
was  of  interest  to  him. 

"Alors"  he  interpolated,  as  I  paused.  It  was 
not  easy  for  me  to  proceed.  His  eagerness  to 
learn  the  terms  of  my  bargain,  and  the  greedy, 
unprincipled  acquisitiveness  his  manner  suggested, 
indicating  that  if  the  price  offered  were  high 
enough  his  silence  and  connivance  in  even  the 
most  dastardly  business  might  be  readily  purchased, 
sickened  and  revolted  me.  Who  could  tolerate 
the  idea  of  owning  such  a  horror  for  a  father? 
Not  I,  certainly. 

"  My  daughter  does  not  know  that  I  am  an 
actress,"  I  went  on  rapidly,  possessed  of  but  one 
desire,  and  that  was  to  close  my  interview  with 
him  as  quickly  as  I  could.  "  It  is  my  wish  that 
she  shall  not  learn  the  fact  until  I  am  ready  to  dis- 
close it  to  her  myself.  I  have  said  that  I  am 
willing  to  pay  a  good  price  to  maintain  my  secret 
That  does  not  mean,  however,  that  I  am  willing 
to  buy  your  silence  and  that  of  your  friend,  Mile. 
Conquest,  on  the  instalment  plan.  I  have  no  idea 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  133 

of  becoming  the  prey  of  a  couple  of  unscrupulous 
blackmailers.  I  will  make  you  an  offer  which  will 
be  the  last  bribe  I  shall  ever  afford  you.  I  tell 
you  that  positively  and  you  may  credit  it.  I  place, 
as  you  will  see,  a  considerable  value  upon  the 
privilege  of  enlightening  my  daughter  as  to  my 
public  career,  but  it  is  not  a  shifting  value,  depend- 
ent upon  your  financial  straits.  It  is  fixed  once 
and  for  all,  and  I  am  well  aware  that  I  have  no 
guarantee  for  the  worth  of  my  purchase ;  that  it 
is  simply  dependent  upon  your  good  faith,  and 
that  of  a  woman  for  whom  I  have  little  respect. 
If  either  of  you  see  fit  to  break  your  word  to  me 
I  shall  have  no  redress,  but  neither  will  you  gain 
much.  Do  not  make  the  mistake,  however,  of 
believing  that  I  shall  ever  again  advance  one  penny 
to  hush  your  tongues,  for  I  do  not  estimate  my 
whim  at  a  greater  price  than  this  I  now  make 
you." 

The  man  could  scarcely  control  his  impatience. 
It  was  obvious  that  he  was  mentally  cursing  the 
volubility  of  women.  Cupidity  was  written  in 
every  line  of  his  sallow  countenance. 

"  Alors,  madame,"  he  responded,  "  the  amount, 
it  is — what  ?" 

But,  however  large  his  expectations  had  been, 
when  I  named  the  sum,  twenty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars, that  I  was  willing  to  pay  that  Lisa's  gentle 
sensibilities  might  receive  no  shock,  he  could 


134  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

scarcely  gasp  out  a  repetition  of  the  amount  for 
surprise. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  his  asseverations  of  the 
integrity  of  himself  and  associate  were  ample  and 
emphatic.  And  he  credited  my  assertion  that  I 
would  add  nothing  in  future  to  the  payment  I 
was  now  making.  He  fully  understood  from  my 
tone  and  manner  that  what  I  said  I  should  adhere 
to,  and  he  went  from  me  calling  down  upon  my 
head  those  blessings  of  the  unprincipled  which 
are  so  closely  akin  to  animadversions  upon  one's 
wisdom. 

Unfortunately,  as  I  was  handing  him  the  check 
which  was  destined  to  do  me  a  greater  mischief 
than  I  dreamed  of,  the  door  opened  and  Mr.  Quin- 
tard  was  announced. 

I  could  not  prevent  some  embarrassment  from 
showing  itself  in  my  manner  as  I  greeted  my  new 
guest  As  for  him  a  frown  was  on  his  brow  and  a 
shadow  in  his  eye  as  he  passed  his  servant,  who 
stepped  aside  respectfully  to  allow  him  to  do  so. 
But  neither  of  us  alluded  to  the  visit  of  Picot 
during  our  interview,  and  my  annoyance  at  the 
meeting  between  master  and  man  soon  gave  way 
to  deeper  emotions. 

For,  no  sooner  was  Richard  Quintard  seated 
than  I  perceived  that  something  of  greater  moment 
was  troubling  him,  and  that  a  cloud  of  constraint 
had  settled  upon  the  fair  and  pleasant  prospect  of 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  135 

our  intercourse.  I  could  not  attribute  his  visible 
disquietude  and  expression  to  so  trivial  a  cause  as 
a  chance  encounter  with  a  person  whose  former 
vocation  gave  him  some  claim  upon  my  charity, 
even  if  that  encounter  was  upon  my  very  thresh- 
old, and  that  person  his  own  servant  No ;  some 
deeper  reason  was  accountable  for  such  consider- 
able manifestations  in  one  so  generally  self-con- 
trolled. 

He  did  not  long  remain  in  the  comfortable  chair 
which  I  had  grown  to  associate  so  closely  with  him 
that  I  usually  wheeled  it  into  obscurity  when  he 
was  absent,  that  others  should  not  occupy  it.  After 
a  few  conventional  remarks  he  rose  and  wandered 
restlessly  about  the  room,  pretending  to  inspect 
objects  which  he  already  knew  by  heart.  I  let  him 
roam  at  will,  for  I  never  forced  his  inclination  in 
any  respect  while  he  was  in  my  house,  which  ac- 
counted, perhaps,  for  his  visiting  it  so  often.  But 
my  mind  was  fixed  tenaciously  upon  one  point  on 
which  it  craved  assurance,  and  I  waited  impatiently 
for  him  to  satisfy  it.  I  longed  to  know  how  my 
talents  had  impressed  him.  But  I  held  my  peace, 
and  after  a  while  he  came  back  and  resumed  his 
seat,  which  was  near  and  directly  facing  my  own. 
He  leaned  forward  with  his  elbow  on  his  knee  and 
his  hand  supporting  his  chin,  and  regarded  me 
fixedly  with  a  scrutinizing  gaze  which,  had  my 
conscience  been  guilty  of  offence,  it  would  have 


136  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

been  difficult  for  me  to  meet,  but,  being  innocent 
of  anything  but  a  too  high  regard  for  him,  I  re- 
turned it  with  a  look  as  firm  and  steadfast  and  in- 
finitely less  troubled  than  his  own. 

"  I  have  been  trying  to  fathom  it,"  presently  he 
said,  "  but  it  is  beyond  me.  All  night  and  all  day 
I  have  been  seeking  to  unravel  the  complexities 
of  a  woman's  nature,  but  the  clue  to  the  strange 
tangle  eludes  me.  I  have  never  boasted  to  myself 
of  a  profound  acquaintance  with  the  feminine  char- 
acter, but,  of  late,  I  had  fancied  that  I  had  gained 
a  fair  knowledge  of  the  mind  and  soul  of  one 
woman.  Now  I  give  it  up ;  it  is  too  deep  a  mys- 
tery for  my  poor  comprehension.  I  will  not  again 
play  fool  to  my  conceit  in  its  regard." 

His  face  was  full  of  gloom,  disappointment,  cha- 
grin, and  my  heart  quaked  as  my  ears  listened  to 
his  words.  What  had  he  discovered  of  my  past 
that  had  disillusioned  him  so  bitterly  in  respect  to 
me  ?  At  once  the  fact  of  my  desertion  of  Lisa 
rose  to  confront  me,  for,  of  all  the  by-gone  actions 
of  my  life,  this  was  the  basest  at  which  the  finger 
of  scorn  and  judgment  could  be  pointed.  But 
that  was  so  long  ago !  Surely  the  circumstances 
of  my  age  and  temperament  and  uncongenial  sur- 
roundings might  be  accepted  as  extenuating  con- 
ditions even  of  so  heinous  an  act  of  wickedness. 
My  lips  trembled  with  their  burden  of  self-justifi- 
cation, and  I  pressed  eagerly  forward  in  my  seat 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  137 

to  humble  and  excuse  myself  in  the  sight  of  my 
accuser,  but  he  forestalled  my  speech,  shaking  his 
head  as  if  to  discourage  it. 

"  It  isn't  worth  while  to  discuss  the  subject,"  he 
said.  "  I  daresay  it's  a  case  of  '  To  the  pure,'  etc. 
Only  nowadays  there  are  so  few  really  chaste  of 
soul  in  a  mixed  audience  that  it  seems  scarcely 
worth  while  for  virtue  to  assume  a  false  appearance 
for  the  sake  of  ministering  to  their  unadulterated 
pleasure.  The  garments  of  Virtue, — oh,  I  am  em- 
ploying a  ridiculously  ill-adapted  metaphor ;  there 
were  no  garments  to  speak  of  in  this  case,  were 
there  ?" 

I  sprang  to  my  feet.  I  saw  his  whole  field  of 
complaint  now  in  a  flash,  and  his  voice  and  change 
of  manner,  even  more  than  his  words,  were  an 
insult,  a  deliberate  and  intentional  insult,  to  me. 
I  loved  him ;  I  had  never  blinded  myself  to  the 
fact  that  from  the  first  moment  of  our  acquaintance 
he  had  possessed  an  attraction  for  me  which  I  had 
never  before  discovered  in  any  other  man.  But 
there  is  nothing  of  the  spaniel  in  me ;  the  hand 
that  purposely  wounds  me  is  scarce  likely  to  be 
mollified  by  my  caress.  I  drew  myself  up  haugh- 
tily and  confronted  him  in  proud  and  angry  dis- 
dain. 

"  My  door  has  ever  stood  open  in  welcome  to 
you,  Mr.  Quintard,"  I  said,  in  cold,  cutting  accents, 
my  eyes  blazing  into  his,  "  and  you  have  availed 


138  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

yourself  rather  freely  of  its  hospitable  invitation. 
But  allow  me  to  suggest  that  while  it  stands  open 
to  admit  my  friends,  it  likewise  invites  the  depart- 
ure of  such  as  abuse  their  privileges.  You  under- 
stand ?" 

I  started  to  cross  the  room  for  the  purpose  of 
ringing  for  Stone,  the  butler,  but  he  stepped  in 
front  of  me,  barring  my  progress.  His  underlip 
was  drawn  in  and  held  between  his  teeth,  and  no 
one  could  now  accuse  his  face  of  a  too  great  im- 
mobility. It  looked  savage,  cruel,  but  also  tortured 
and  unhappy  beyond  description. 

"My  God,"  he  cried  out,  "don't!  Wait!  I 
apologize  for  what  I  said.  I  spoke  without  think- 
ing. No ;  that  is  false.  God  knows  I  have  thought 
enough.  I  should  rather  say  that  I  spoke  aloud, 
without  considering  who  was  my  listener,  thoughts 
that  have  maddened  me  ever  since  I  sat,  a  mere 
unit  among  hundreds,  and  watched  you  last  night." 

He  paused  an  instant  to  gain  better  control  of 
himself,  and  then  proceeded  so  rapidly  that  the 
words  seemed  almost  to  hiss  upon  the  air,  so  hotly 
they  smote  it. 

"  Do  you  know  what  it  is  for  a  man  to  go 
through  life  having  one  ideal  after  another  fail 
him  ?  Do  you  realize  what  it  is  for  a  man  to 
reach  middle  age  and  find  every  plank  upon  which 
he  plants  his  foot  rotten  and  worthless  ?  Can  you 
imagine  how  a  man  feels  who,  notwithstanding  re- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  139 

peated  disappointment,  still  clutches  desperately 
an  illusion,  which,  in  an  unexpected  moment, 
crumbles  into  mere  dust  and  ashes  in  his  fingers  ? 
If  you  can  picture  such  a  man's  estate,  then  you 
may  forgive  and  make  allowance  for  any  re- 
proaches I  may  make  you.  For  it  is  you  who 
are  to  blame  for  the  final  abandonment  of  that  one 
ideal  to  which  I  have  held  in  spite  of  all  evidence 
of  its  non-existence, — you,  madame,  and  no  other. 
It  was  upon  your  lovable  and  winning  beauty  and 
charm  of  manner,  upon  your  virtue,  your  stain- 
less reputation  in  the  midst  of  great  temptation, 
your  gentle  womanliness  which  had  caught  none 
of  the  bold  contagion  of  your  professional  sur- 
roundings,— upon  these,  but,  above  all,  upon 
your  feminine  modesty,  that  outward  indication  of 
a  pure  heart  and  soul,  that  I  had  reared  another 
vain  possibility  of  a  flawless  womanhood.  You 
may  well  have  patience  with  me  if  my  disappoint- 
ment makes  me  forgetful  of  courtesy." 

I  had  no  choice  but  to  stand  and  listen  to  him. 
His  passion  made  him  resolute  to  hold  me  pris- 
oner until  he  should  have  emptied  upon  me  the 
vials  of  his  anger  and  resentment.  And  while  he 
spoke  and  I,  cold  and  passive,  hearkened  to  what 
I  thought  an  unjustifiable  tirade,  a  vision  slowly 
grew  up  before  me  and  filled  that  portion  of  the 
room  whereon  I  had  fixed  my  eyes  that  they  might 
avoid  the  accusing  wrath  of  his.  It  was  a  vision 


140  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

of  myself  as  he  had  last  night  beheld  me.  A  vision 
of  myself  as  I  had  appeared,  not  to  my  own  accus- 
tomed eyes,  but  to  the  eyes  of  a  man  who  had 
endowed  me  in  his  fancy  with  all  the  most  chaste 
and  delicate  characteristics  of  my  sex.  And  as  I 
gazed  thus  through  his  eyes  there  arose  for  the 
first  time  within  me  a  consciousness  of  the  vul- 
garity of  my  calling,  a  sense  of  disgust  at  the  ex- 
posure I  had  permitted  without  consideration  of 
its  coarsening  effect  upon  my  own  womanhood, 
and  I  would  have  given  a  sum  far  larger  than  that 
with  which  I  had  recently  enriched  Picot  to  have 
swept  all  memory  of  its  last  night's  experience 
from  Quintard's  mind.  This  is  how  I  now  saw 
myself. 

In  the  first  act  my  part  had  called  for  a  page's 
costume,  and  this  had  been  made  of  gray  cloth 
slashed  with  silver,  fitting  without  crease  or  fold 
snugly  to  a  figure  that,  full  and  rounded  though  it 
was,  yet  preserved  the  slenderness  of  shapely  youth. 
While  clothing  me  fully,  this  still  permitted  the 
disclosure  of  every  curve  and  outline  of  my  form, 
and  I  had  prided  myself  upon  its  general  advan- 
tage to  my  person.  Now  it  suddenly  seemed  to 
me  such  a  garb  as  only  an  essentially  coarse- 
minded  woman  would  be  willing  to  assume.  I 
tingled  with  shame  even  while  considering  it  at  a 
distance. 

In  the  next  act  my  dress  had  been,  I  thought, 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  141 

one  of  the  most  exquisite,  as  well  as  becoming, 
costumes  I  had  ever  worn.  It  was  of  brilliant  red, 
gorgeous,  flaming,  stunning,  and  my  appearance  in 
it  always  elicited  a  round  of  applause.  That  it 
was  fashioned  to  disclose  more  of  the  figure  than 
it  concealed  was  a  circumstance  to  which  I  had 
honestly  never  accorded  a  thought.  Now  it  was 
the  one  point  that  stood  prominently  forth,  pro- 
voking my  criticism.  How  had  I  formerly  been 
so  blind  to  my  own  immodesty  ?  This  reflection 
haunted  me  while  Quintard  continued. 

"  I  made  a  mess  of  my  life  early,"  he  went  on. 
"  There  is  no  use  in  attempting  to  gloss  over  the 
fact.  The  whole  world  knows  that  my  marriage 
has  been  an  utter  and  irretrievable  failure.  But  I 
have  always  preserved  a  belief  that  I  was  a  par- 
ticularly unlucky  devil,  and  that  there  were  women 
in  the  world  somewhere  such  as  a  man  might 
honor  and  respect  without  lowering  his  own 
standards.  I  had  never  come  across  them,  but  I 
believed  in  them  all  the  same.  You  came  to  my 
house,  and  became  its  guest.  I  was  drawn  to  you 
by  that  power  you  have  of  winning  men.  I  saw 
you  intimately  and  began  to  tell  myself  that, 
although  you  were  one  of  those  that  the  world 
usually  holds  in  light  esteem,  a  purveyor  to  the 
amusement  of  mankind,  yet  you  were  an  excep- 
tion not  only  to  your  kind,  but  to  your  sex  as 
well,  and  that  in  you  I  had  found  the  embodiment 


142  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

of  those  qualities  which  command  the  reverence 
as  well  as  the  love  of  a  man.  I  knew  little  of 
your  profession  or  of  the  rank  you  held  in  it,  but  I 
felt  that  if  you  sang  you  sang  to  the  improve- 
ment as  well  as  to  the  mere  pleasure  of  the  world ; 
that  if  you  danced  you  dignified  dancing  above 
the  common  level  of  variety-show  performance, 
and  raised  it  to  that  of  a  beautiful  art.  Then, 
with  my  faith  in  you  and  your  womanly  perfection 
at  its  height,  I  humored  your  wish  and  went  to 
see  you  in  the  play  you  selected.  Good  God! 
I  wish  I  had  died  first." 

He  broke  off  abruptly  and  began  to  walk  back 
and  forth  through  the  long  room,  while  I,  with  my 
heart  lying  like  a  block  of  ice  in  my  breast,  tried 
to  mutter  something  in  my  own  behalf. 

"You  are  hard,"  I  said,  "bitterly  hard  and 
cruel.  It  is  on  slight  evidence  you  change  your 
opinion  of  me,  and  impose  upon  me  a  worthless 
character.  What  charge  can  you  bring  against 
me,  after  all,  of  a  really  serious  nature  ?  Look  at 
your  society  women.  How  do  they  costume  them- 
selves ? — and  only  for  pleasure !  If  my  business 
calls  for  certain  concessions  of  modesty,  why,  am 
I  not  bound  in  necessity  to  grant  them  ?  I  am 
no  whit  worse  than  other  women." 

Then  he  burst  forth  again. 

"  Worse  ?  Ah,  but  I  had  thought  you  so  much 
better, — can't  you  see  ?" 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  143 

He  was  at  the  farther  end  of  the  apartment. 
Now,  as  he  spoke,  he  came  quickly,  impetuously 
forward,  until  he  stood  so  close  to  me  that  I  could 
almost  hear  his  heart  beat.  All  his  self-composure 
was  gone;  there  was  not  even  a  vestige  of  it 
remaining.  His  eyes  were  aglow  and  in  his 
cheeks  a  dull  flame  smouldered.  He  leaned  sud- 
denly forward  and  took  into  his  clasp  the  hands 
which  were  hanging  clasped  before  me.  His  voice 
was  very  low,  but  clear  and  distinct. 

"  Pauline,"  he  said,  and  my  heart  thrilled  at  the 
tenderness  of  his  tone,  "  I  love  you ;  you  know 
it,  I  think.  Until  last  night  I  never  thought  I 
should  have  courage  to  tell  you  of  it,  but 
now " 

I  snatched  my  hands  from  him,  and  cried  out  so 
loudly  that  Jean  was  summoned  by  the  noise  from 
her  distant  room.  I  looked  at  him  as  a  child 
might  regard  a  mother  that  had  struck  it  an  un- 
warrantable and  unexpected  blow.  I  threw  out 
my  palms  and  warded  him  from  me,  and  then  I 
found  voice  and  strength  sufficient  to  dismiss 
him. 

"  Leave  me,"  I  commanded.  "  Go.  If  I  have 
disappointed  your  ideals,  rest  satisfied  with  the 
reflection  that  you  have  had  your  revenge.  You 
love  me,  you  say !  You  do  not  know  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word  love.  I  could  instruct  you  if  I 
would,  for  you  have  this  day  broken  my  heart. 


144  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

Go.  Not  a  word  further.  Jean,  Jean,"  I  cried,  as 
the  faithful  little  creature  came  running  to  see 
what  had  happened,  "  I  want  you,  my  dear.  I 

am  not  well "  And,  as  at  all  important  crises 

of  my  life,  I  lapsed  into  unconsciousness. 

I  have  suffered  since  then,  to-day  I  am  in  sore 
distress,  but  never  have  I  known  such  agony  of 
mind  as  followed  upon  that  terrible  visit  of  Rich- 
ard Quintard.  Whether  anger  or  pain  bore  off 
the  victory  in  the  wild  conflict  of  feeling  that  well- 
nigh  unfitted  me  for  my  duties  I  cannot  say,  but 
certainly  my  resentment  of  his  estimate  of  me 
was  of  great  service  in  carrying  me  through  my 
work  for  a  considerable  interval.  I  clothed  my- 
self in  the  costumes  which  had  aroused  his  dis- 
approbation with  a  vindictive  delight  in  the  thought 
that  I  was  running  counter  to  his  prejudices,  and  I 
allowed  the  festivities  which  took  place  at  my  ex- 
pense to  assume  a  greater  degree  of  license  than 
I  generally  permitted.  If  he  loved  me  it  would 
harass  him  to  hear  rumor  of  these  riotous  enter- 
tainments, and  if  he  were  bent  upon  assigning  a 
special  and  unnatural  character  to  me  I  would  let 
him  see  that  it  would  not  be  a  matter  of  difficulty 
for  me  to  live  up  to  such  an  one.  The  thin  line 
between  decorum  and  indecency  in  my  manner  of 
living  had  never  become  so  perilously  endangered 
as  during  that  time. 

I  was  absolutely  reckless.     My  honor  and  self- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  145 

respect  had  received  a  severe  shock,  and  nothing 
but  the  thought  of  Lisa  withheld  me  from  going 
to  the  extremes  of  excess.  I  hated  to  be  alone  a 
moment,  and  poor  Jean  had  a  hard  time  with  me, 
I  fear,  for  I  was  capricious,  exacting,  and  fretful. 
I  felt  myself  to  have  been  most  unwarrantably 
accused  and  impugned,  and  all  the  tenderness  I 
had  conceived  for  the  man  who  had  assailed  me 
seemed  turned  to  bitterest  gall.  I  felt  like  one 
who,  having  administered  a  supposed  innocuous 
draught,  suddenly  finds  himself  accused  of  murder. 
It  is  Heaven's  own  truth  that  the  thought  of  im- 
modesty in  the  costuming  of  my  various  parts  had 
never  so  much  as  occurred  to  me.  My  apparel 
was  as  much  a  tool  of  my  stagecraft  as  is  the 
surgeon's  scalpel  an  implement  necessary  to  his 
profession.  I  had  considered  it  simply  in  the 
light  of  a  valuable  accessory,  and  had  never 
paused  to  reflect  that  the  greater  its  efficiency  in 
operating  upon  the  public  favor,  the  more  danger- 
ous the  wounds  it  was  capable  of  inflicting  upon 
my  fair  fame.  Now  my  eyes  were  opened  to  the 
wantonness  of  my  attire,  and  for  the  first  time 
since  I  had  made  my  preliminary  bow  to  the 
public  I  shrank  inwardly  before  the  gaze  of  the 
multitude. 

Yet  I  would  not  alter  my  offending  guise  in  any 
particular.  My  antagonism  had  been  aroused  as 
well  as  my  spirit  injured  by  the  manner  of  Richard 

10 


146  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

Quintard's  attack,  and  I  was  far  too  proud  to 
permit  him  the  satisfaction  of  feeling  that  his 
reproaches  had  borne  fruit.  I  carried  my  head 
bravely  aloft ;  I  availed  myself  as  never  before  of 
the  latitude  tacitly  accorded  the  members  of  my 
profession;  I  flaunted  my  success  as  a  public 
favorite  boldly  abroad ;  I  allowed  notoriety  to  toss 
my  name  hither  and  thither  in  its  dirty  fingers, 
careless  of  any  smirch  it  might  receive ;  I  went  as 
far  as  a  naturally  pure-hearted  woman  can  per- 
suade herself  to  go,  to  prove  to  the  man  who  had 
so  mercilessly  upbraided  me  that  he  had  just 
grounds  for  his  censure.  And  why  ?  Simply  be- 
cause I  was  filled  with  animosity  and  resentment 
against  that  man, — aye,  and  with  love  for  him,  too, 
strenuously  as  I  opposed  the  admission  even  to 
myself. 

Two  days  later  I  received  a  brief  note  from 
him.  I  have  it  by  heart : 

"  DEAR  MADAME, — My  servant,  Leon  Picot,  has 
this  day  brought  me  a  check  to  cash  bearing  your 
signature.  As  it  is  for  a  very  large  amount 
($25,000),  I  do  not  feel  justified  in  accommodating 
him  without  notifying  you  that  he  is  drawing  upon 
you  to  this  extent.  He  has  told  me  a  cock-and- 
bull  story  to  account  for  his  having  the  check  in 
his  possession,  but  I  have  no  faith  in  the  man,  nor 
have  I,  of  course,  any  concern  in  your  motives  for 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  147 

enriching  him.     My  only  aim  in  writing  you  is  to 
find  out  if  the  check  is  all  right. 
"  Yours  very  truly, 

"  RICHARD  QUINTARD." 

Thus  his  note  ran,  and  thus  my  reply : 

"  DEAR  SIR, — You  may  safely,  if  you  choose  to 
do  so,  cash  the  check  which  I  have  given  your 
servant,  Leon  Picot.  I  daresay  the  story  to  which 
you  allude  is  that  regarding  which  I  sought  to 
secure  his  silence.  I  am  quite  prepared  for  a 
breach  of  confidence  upon  his  part,  for  he  cher- 
ishes a  grudge  of  long-standing  against  me.  How- 
ever, if  the  truth  does  not  reach  my  daughter's 
ears,  I  shall  be  content  with  my  bargain.  As  you 
say,  the  matter  does  not  concern  you,  and,  there- 
fore, I  presume,  you  will  do  me  the  favor  of  pre- 
serving my  secret. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"  PAULINE  MAVIS." 

And  so  for  a  time  coldness  settled  between  us. 
Occasionally  I  saw  him  riding  in  the  park  or  met 
him  on  the  street,  but  we  passed  each  other  even 
without  recognition.  Allan's  devotion  to  me  in- 
creased, and  people  began  to  gossip  about  the  lad's 
intimacy  with  me.  It  was  true  that  he  fancied 
himself  desperately  in  love  with  me ;  that  he  well- 


148  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

nigh  lived  in  my  household ;  that  he  was  my  escort 
upon  nearly  all  occasions ;  that  he  dogged  my  foot- 
steps, squandered  large  sums  of  money  on  me, 
and,  for  the  time  being,  had  no  object  in  life  but  the 
gratification  of  my  whims  and  caprices.  But  what 
did  it  all  amount  to  ?  I  was  nearly  old  enough  to 
be  his  mother;  he  was  never  permitted  even  so 
much  as  to  kiss  my  hand,  and  he  might  have  been 
in  far  worse  company  than  that  he  met  through 
my  instrumentality. 

I  encouraged  him,  I  admit.  That  is,  I  urged 
his  visits,  I  welcomed  his  companionship,  I  flat- 
tered his  boyish  pride  by  singling  him  out  from 
men  of  more  mature  years  and  greater  distinction 
as  my  especial  favorite.  But  when  it  came  to 
speech  of  love,  I  frowned  upon  him  so  heavily  that 
the  poor  boy  grew  timid  and  hastened  to  make 
sport  of  his  own  sentimentality. 

I  was  not  without  purpose  in  seeking  so  to  at- 
tach him  to  me.  I  was  well  aware  of  the  strong 
love  that  existed  between  his  father  and  himself; 
I  knew  how  proud  Richard  Quintard  was  of  his 
son ;  how  ambitious  he  was  for  him ;  how  solici- 
tous lest  corrupting  influences  attainted  him.  I 
had  discovered  early  in  my  acquaintance  with 
them  that  Allan  had  been  withheld  as  much  as 
possible  from  close  association  with  the  fast  spirits 
which  his  mother  was  fond  of  gathering  around 
her.  There  had  been  no  endeavor  made  to  molly- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  149 

coddle  him,  but  his  father  had  tried  to  keep  him 
well  outside  that  questionable  orbit  in  which  his 
mother's  sun  revolved.  Therefore  I  felt  that,  mis- 
conceiving me  as  he  had  done,  Richard  Quintard 
would  be  keenly  touched  by  the  fact  of  Allan's 
intimacy  with  such  a  woman  as  he  held  me  to  be, 
and  I  wickedly  delighted  in  the  thought  that  I 
had  it  in  my  power  so  to  trouble  him.  And  the 
more  desperately  I  sought  for  revenge  upon  the 
man  I  loved  the  sorer  grew  my  foolish  heart. 

Jean  scarcely  recognized  me  in  those  days.  She 
would  sit  regarding  me  as  I  presided  over  my 
luxurious  table,  entertaining  such  guests  as  I  had 
no  love  for,  with  a  bolder  laugh  than  that  she  was 
familiar  with  upon  my  lips,  and  more  flippant 
speech  than  that  it  was  accustomed  to  dropping 
from  my  tongue,  and  her  smooth  brow  would  knit 
itself  into  a  frown  of  disapprobation,  and  her  blue 
eyes  would  grow  large  and  wistful,  and,  after  the 
feast  was  done,  she  would  come  to  me  (faithful 
little  creature,  who  loved  me  beyond  my  deserts !) 
and  expostulate. 

"  Madame,  you  are  wearing  yourself  out  for 
nothing.  You  do  not  care  for  those  people.  Why 
exert  yourself  for  them  ?  You  are  growing  thin ; 
truly  there  are  lines  coming." 

But  I  would  shake  her  off  with  a  laugh.  What 
did  she  know  of  my  need  of  diversion !  How 
could  she  imagine  that  I  craved  any  sort  of  excite- 


150  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

ment  that  should  keep  my  mind  from  dwelling 
upon  one  subject ! 

On  my  next  visit  to  the  convent  I  encountered 
Nita  Conquest.  She  was  entering  as  I  left,  and 
she  accosted  me  as  if  I  had  been  an  old  friend  in- 
stead of  the  briefest  acquaintance.  At  another 
time  I  should  have  resented  the  memory  of  that 
hiss  and  met  her  advances  coldly,  but  I  was  in  a 
softened  mood,  due  to  Lisa's  influence,  and  besides 
the  woman  looked  so  pathetically  old  and  fallen 
that  I  had  not  the  heart  to  repudiate  her  claims 
upon  my  notice. 

"  We  both  have  daughters  here,"  she  said,  with 
a  smile  that  failed  to  beautify  her  coarse  and 
bloated  features ;  "  odd,  isn't  it  ?  and  they  are  good 
friends,  too.  Oh,  you  needn't  be  afraid,  my  girl 
isn't  like  her  mother.  She  takes  after  the  other 
side  of  the  house."  Her  laugh  corresponded  to 
her  whole  personality.  It  was  loud,  bold,  and 
unrefined.  It  was  mocking,  too,  for  she  had  seen 
me  recoil  at  the  idea  of  an  intimacy  forming  itself 
between  my  child  and  hers,  and  derided  my  fas- 
tidiousness. She  moved  a  little  closer  to  me  that 
the  sister  in  waiting  upon  the  door  should  not 
catch  her  words,  and  murmured, — 

"  I  have  received  your  hush-money.  You  need 
not  be  afraid.  Your  girl  shall  never  find  out  your 
profession  from  me." 

"  That  is  well,"  I  replied.    "  It  is  but  a  little  while 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  151 

now  before  I  shall  tell  her  myself.  I  hope  to  retire 
after  this  season." 

She  looked  at  me  with  bitter  envy  in  her  faded 
eyes. 

"  A  rich  woman,  I  suppose,"  she  said.  "  Such 
as  I  might  have  been  if  you  had  not  spoiled  my 
chances." 

There  was  such  malevolence  in  her  glance  that 
I  did  not  care  longer  to  encounter  it. 

"  Good-by,"  I  broke  in,  quickly.  "  It  is  scarcely 
worth  while  to  discuss  that  ridiculous  charge. 
Talent,  like  water,  finds  its  own  level." 

And  so  I  passed  on,  forgetting  almost  immedi- 
ately the  scowl  which  was  her  only  farewell  to  me. 
I  had  had  a  charming,  a  lovely  day  with  my  darling. 
Every  visit  that  I  made  her  unfolded  to  my  adoring 
eyes  new  beauties  in  her  nature.  On  each  occa- 
sion I  would  tell  myself  that  I  had  discovered  all 
there  was  to  learn  about  her,  and  yet  before  I  left 
some  new  charm  would  reveal  itself  to  me. 

On  this  day,  although  I  had  thought  myself  fa- 
miliar with  her  personal  loveliness,  I  sat  actually 
spellbound  as  she  came  to  me  down  the  long, 
narrow,  unadorned  room  which  was  the  convent 
parlor,  she  being  the  only  thing  of  beauty  upon 
which  my  gaze  could  rest.  But  she  was  sufficient 
to  brighten  even  greater  dulness  than  this.  A  slim, 
tall  slip  of  a  girl  with  brown  eyes  and  golden  hair ; 
a  face  that  seemed  to  have  gathered  into  itself  the 


152  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

sweetness  and  innocence  of  a  score  of  cherubim ; 
a  smile  of  confiding  trust  at  whomsoever  it  might 
chance  to  be  directed;  an  expression  that  made 
you  remember  that  there  were  many  children  in 
the  world,  and  that  its  highways  should  be  made 
meet  for  their  tender  feet.  I  cannot  describe  her. 
Only  a  great  master  of  words  could  make  you 
comprehend  that  divine  fairness  which  was  not 
alone  a  physical  charm,  but  which  also  seemed  a 
sort  of  atmosphere  about  her.  Instinctively,  seeing 
her,  one  felt  the  impulse  to  champion  her  against 
even  the  shadow  of  evil. 

The  pure  mind  of  her  father  had  descended  to 
her  by  right  of  inheritance,  and  this  had  been 
good  ground  for  the  development  of  the  seeds  of 
righteousness  scattered  by  the  profuse  hands  of  the 
holy  sisters.  Yet  there  was  nothing  of  the  sad 
recluse  or  grim  saint  about  the  child,  else  I,  world- 
ling and  sinner,  should  have  felt  a  barrier  rising  up 
between  us,  shutting  me  out  from  pleasure  in  her 
companionship.  Her  nature  was  all  sunshine. 
She  was  gay,  joyous,  amusement-loving,  as  ani- 
mated and  eager  for  happiness  as  I,  but  she  had 
no  idea  of  what  opportunities  for  diversion  the 
world  afforded,  and  I  feared  she  would  not  make 
acquaintance  with  them  without  many  a  shock  of 
misgiving. 

But  she  was  growing  impatient  of  longer  seclu- 
sion within  the  convent  and  of  continued  separa- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  153 

tion  from  me.  I  presume  that  my  tell-tale  face, 
which  ever  betrays  the  condition  of  my  spirit, 
showed  forth  something  of  the  trouble  that  was 
harassing  me,  for  she  pretended  to  discover  a 
change  in  me  since  my  last  visit,  and  insisted  that 
I  needed  her  constant  presence  to  watch  over  me 
and  guard  me  from  too  great  exertion.  And  then, 
for  the  first  time,  she  alluded  to  the  means  by 
which  I  gained  my  living  and  hers. 

"  You  have  never  told  me  much  about  our  cir- 
cumstances, mother  darling,"  she  said,  "but  I 
know,  of  course,  that  a  country  minister  could  not 
have  left  much  money.  I  cannot  bear  to  think  of 
your  working  to  support  a  daughter  who  is  quite 
old  enough  to  do  something  for  herself.  The 
strain  is  beginning  to  tell  upon  you,  dear,  and  I 
long  to  relieve  you.  May  I  not  come  and  do  my 
share  towards  earning  our  living  ?" 

I  drew  her  sweet,  solicitous  face  down  and 
kissed  it  many  times.  I  gazed  into  it  with  ques- 
tioning and  foreboding  in  my  eyes.  What  if  this 
loving  trust  and  gratitude  that  I  read  in  all  its 
lines  were  to  turn  to  shrinking  and  reproach  when 
she  learned  the  nature  of  the  employment  by 
which  I  had  gained  our  livelihood  ?  Could  I  bear 
to  lose  this  wealth  of  confidence,  this  boundless  faith 
and  adoration  ?  Without  it,  would  not  my  life  be 
too  poor  and  mean  for  the  living  ?  I  shuddered. 
I  could  not  contemplate  so  barren  a  prospect. 


154  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

Lisa's  quick  eyes  noticed  the  sudden  move- 
ment. 

"Are  you  cold,  dear?"  she  asked.  "Shall  I 
throw  your  wrap  about  your  shoulders  ?" 

I  declined  the  offer,  and  then  an  irresistible  im- 
pulse came  over  me  to  sound  her  prejudices  in 
regard  to  my  profession,  and  discover,  if  possible, 
whether  or  not  she  had  conceived  that  horror  and 
distrust  of  the  stage  which  is  so  often  the  result 
of  ignorance  and  non-association. 

"  There  is  a  young  girl  in  this  convent,  Lisa,  I 
hear,  whose  mother  is  an  actress.  Do  you  know 
her  ?  Her  name,  I  think,  is  Conquest.  I  do  not 
know  her  first  name." 

The  child's  face  grew  grave. 

"  You  mean  Nelly,"  she  replied.  "  Oh,  yes,  I 
know  her.  Isn't  it  dreadful,  mother  ?  And  she  is 
so  refined  and  lovely!  I  never  could  have  be- 
lieved it  if  she  had  not  told  me  of  it  herself.  It  is 
very  sad,  for  she  is  ashamed  of  her  mother,  and 
yet  she  tries  hard  to  conceal  it.  But  the  woman  is 
dreadful.  Just  what  you  would  expect  an  actress 
to  be, — coarse,  bold,  and  vulgar.  Oh !  I  am  glad 
I  am  not  poor  Nelly." 

She  threw  her  fond  young  arm  impetuously 
about  me,  her  proud  glance  expressing  unmis- 
takably the  wide  contrast  she  discovered  between 
me  and  the  object  of  her  friend's  humiliation  and 
her  own  aversion.  But  I  was  constrained  to  avoid 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  155 

her  caress.  Under  the  circumstances  it  seemed 
treachery  on  my  part  to  enjoy  it. 

She  looked  at  me  with  wide  eyes  of  surprise. 
Why  should  I,  usually  so  covetous  of  her  endear- 
ments, seek  to  escape  them?  I  smiled  back  at 
her,  but  maintained  my  position. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  I  am  not  some- 
thing worse  than  your  friend's  mother,  Lisa?"  I 
asked. 

She  showed  all  her  pretty  teeth  in  a  laugh  of 
derision. 

"  Worse  than  an  actress,  you  !"  she  cried,  as  if 
the  joke  were  a  capital  one,  only  perhaps  a  trifle  far- 
fetched. "  How  do  I  know  that  the  good  God  is 
watching  over  me ;  that  you  love  me ;  that  the 
saints  protect  us?  Have  I  not  a  divine  instinct 
within  me,  mother?  And  does  not  that  instinct 
teach  me  that  you  are  everything  that  is  pure  and 
good,  just  as  poor  Nelly's  tells  her  that  her  mother 
is  low  and  evil  ?"  She  slid  down  upon  the  floor  at 
my  feet  and  took  my  hands  in  hers. 

"  Listen,"  she  said,  softly.  "  In  a  corner  of  my 
closet  there  is  a  rude  little  prie-dieu,  and  before  it 
upon  the  wall  I  have  hung  your  picture.  It  is  there 
that  I  say  my  prayers,  to  you,  mother.  It  is  an  act 
of  deceit,  for  the  sisters  don't  know  it ;  but  you  are 
my  saint  of  saints,  dear,  and  I  am  not  afraid  that 
the  Christ  will  feel  the  poorer  for  my  worship  of 
you.  Now,  what  have  you  to  say,  mother  ?  Couid 


156  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

I  raise  an  altar  to  so  unworthy  a  creature  as  an 
actress,  or  a  worse  than  actress  ?" 

And  I  had  nothing  to  say.  All  I  could  do  was 
to  throw  my  arms  convulsively  about  her  and 
gather  her  to  me,  while  in  my  heart  I  thanked 
God  that  if,  indeed,  I  was  the  thing  her  prejudices 
condemned,  yet  was  I  none  the  less  a  pure  woman, 
not  unfit  morally  to  occupy  the  place  she  had  ac- 
corded me  in  her  innocent  .holy  of  holies. 

And  as,  a  little  later,  I  parted  from  Nita  Con- 
quest, my  resentment  of  her  fling  at  me  was  tem- 
pered by  much  the  same  reflection  as  that  which 
fell  from  the  lips  of  the  famous  old  ecclesiastic, 
"  There,  but  for  the  grace  of  God,  goes  Pauline 
Mavis." 


CHAPTER   VII. 

AND  so  some  weeks  passed  miserably  on,  I 
trying  to  substitute  fictitious  enjoyment  for  real 
pleasure.  The  days  lagged  heavily  with  me,  and 
I  wished  that  the  demands  of  my  profession  might 
have  been  tenfold  more  arduous  and  exacting  than 
they  were,  for  in  work  alone  I  found  real  distrac- 
tion from  the  thoughts  that  distressed  me.  Having 
decided  to  close  my  public  career  with  the  current 
season,  I  had  an  extra  incentive  for  exerting  my 
abilities  to  their  utmost,  for  I  was  desirous  that  my 
sun  should  set  not  in  a  dull  waning  of  light,  but  in 
a  glorious  and  brilliant  exhibition  of  its  still  potent 
powers.  And  yet  there  was  too  much  leisure  for 
reflection. 

One  day  I  had  a  visit  from  Mrs.  Quintard.  I 
had  come  in  from  rehearsal  tired,  cross,  and  wholly 
out  of  sorts.  The  night  before  there  had  been  a 
celebration  in  honor  of  my  birthday,  and  it  had 
lasted  well  into  the  morning  hours.  Barroll  had 
been  one  of  my  guests,  and  in  the  course  of  the 
evening  he  had  found  an  opportunity  to  introduce 
the  subject  of  Allan  Quintard's  devotion  to  me. 
Oh,  I  remember  what  led  up  to  it.  Among  my 
gifts  exhibited  upon  a  large  table  was  a  very  beau- 

'57 


158  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

tiful  and  costly  necklace  of  diamonds  and  tur- 
quoises, Allan's  present  It  so  happened  that  I 
had  had  a  scene  with  the  boy  about  it  earlier  in 
the  day  when  he  had  brought  it  to  me,  for  it  was 
far  more  valuable  than  anything  I  had  ever  ac- 
cepted from  him,  and  I  did  not  wish  to  take  it.  I 
had  finally  yielded  to  his  entreaties  only  upon  the 
understanding  that  I  was  to  return  it  to  his  wife 
upon  her  wedding-day. 

When  Barroll's  eyes  fell  upon  it  and  he  read 
the  accompanying  card  his  eyelids  went  up. 

"Spoiling  the  Egyptians,  hey?"  he  remarked. 
"  By  the  way,  I  don't  suppose  you  feel  inclined  to 
let  up  on  that  lad,  do  you,  madame  ?  His  mother's 
in  an  awful  way  about  him.  She  has  some  pet 
scheme  for  marrying  him  to  old  Methuen's  girl, 
and  you  are  playing  havoc  with  her  plans." 

"  No,"  I  said,  "  I  do  not  I  like  the  lad  about 
me.  Compared  with  that  of  you  men  of  the  world 
his  society  is  as  refreshing  as  a  draught  of  ice- 
water  after  a  champagne-supper." 

I  changed  the  subject  and  did  not  think  of  it 
again  until,  as  I  wearily  entered  my  drawing-room 
the  next  afternoon,  I  encountered  Mrs.  Quintard 
conversing  with  Jean.  Stone  had  neglected  telling 
me  there  was  a  visitor,  and  I  found  myself  unable 
to  avoid  an  interview. 

The  salutations  we  exchanged  were  stiff  and 
cold,  and  almost  immediately  upon  my  advent  Jean 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  159 

excused  herself  and  retired,  leaving  me  alone  with 
Richard  Quintard's  wife  and  Allan'  s  mother.  I 
thought  the  consciousness  of  both  her  dignities 
was  more  than  ordinarily  manifest  in  my  guest, 
upon  whose  face  there  rested  an  expression  of 
supercilious  disdain  which  quite  deprived  her  per- 
sonality of  the  charm  it  had  hitherto  exercised 
over  me.  Her  manner  was  extremely  unlike  that 
she  had  seen  fit  to  adopt  upon  the  occasion  of  her 
former  visit  to  me.  Whereas  it  had  been  persuasive 
and  conciliatory,  it  was  now  aggressive,  haughty, 
almost  insolent.  She  at  once  broached  her  errand 
without  employing  the  superfluity  of  an  introduc- 
tion. She  made  it  plainly  apparent  from  the  first 
moment  that  she  placed  me  on  the  low  level  of  a 
mere  scheming  adventuress,  and  addressed  me  as 
from  an  altitude  of  immeasurable  superiority.  Her 
very  look  set  my  teeth  on  edge,  it  was  so  teeming 
with  insulting  innuendo. 

"  I  have  come  to  speak  to  you  about  my  son, 
madame,"  she  began,  as  I  loosened  my  wrap  and 
sank  into  a  low  seat  facing  her. 

I  raised  my  arms  and  withdrew  the  jewelled 
pins  from  my  hat,  which  I  removed  very  deliber- 
ately and  placed  in  my  lap  before  replying.  As  I 
ran  my  fingers  carelessly  through  the  hair  that 
encroached  unduly  upon  my  forehead,  pushing  it 
back  from  my  brow,  I  am  sure  that  no  one  in  the 
world,  certainly  not  this  woman,  who  knew  so 


160  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

little  of  me,  would  have  dreamed  that  my  apparent 
indifference  covered  a  very  tempest  of  outraged 
feeling.  How  dared  she  presume  to  condescend 
to  me  ?  Which  of  us  twain  was  more  worthy  the 
respect  and  honor  of  the  world  ?  I,  hireling  of 
the  public,  but  careful  custodian  of  my  own  woman- 
hood, or  she,  social  queen,  but  corrupt  and  faith- 
less wife  and  mother  ? 

When  I  had  taken  what  time  I  needed  in  reliev- 
ing my  physical  discomfort,  I  responded  to  her 
remark  languidly,  as  if  it  had  not  much  interest 
or  importance  for  me. 

"  Yes  ?"  I  said,  with  raised  brows  of  polite  but 
distant  attention. 

"Yes,"  repeated  she,  catching  up  the  word 
quickly  and  frowning,  for  it  was  obvious  that  my 
manner  nettled  her.  "  You  are  aware,  I  suppose, 
that  his  intimacy  with  you  is  becoming  a  matter 
of  public  scandal  ?" 

I  looked  her  calmly  and  steadfastly  in  the  face 
as  no  guilty  woman  could  confront  the  mother  of 
a  lad  upon  whom  she  had  dishonorable  designs. 
She  was  a  fool  after  meeting  such  a  glance  to  press 
the  subject  further. 

"  Is  it  ?"  I  returned,  and  began  beating  a  faint 
devil's  tattoo  with  my  fingers  on  the  arm  of  my 
chair. 

"  It  is  scarcely  to  be  supposed  that  you  are  un- 
aware of  it,"  she  went  on.  "  Even  your  own  ad- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  161 

vertising  agents  make  capital  of  it.  It  has  already 
furnished  considerable  material  for  the  news- 
papers." 

She  was  baiting  my  nonchalance,  which  undoubt- 
edly imposed  upon  her.  Her  face  was  growing 
redder  and  her  voice  more  strident  at  every  word 
she  uttered.  I  leaned  forward,  resting  my  arms 
upon  my  lap,  with  my  hands  clasped  carelessly 
upon  my  knees,  and  smiled  unconcernedly  up  into 
her  flushed  face. 

"  Oh,  no  matter,"  I  replied,  dispassionately ;  "  I 
am  not  Caesar's  wife,  you  know.  The  reputation 
of  an  actress  is  a  shining  mark  for  calumny. 
People  expect  scandal  of  us, — our  professional 
contracts  almost  require  that  we  furnish  food  for  it. 
With  you  great  ladies,  of  course,  it  is  different. 
You  have  not  only  yourselves  but  your  husbands 
and  children  and  the  fair  fame  of  ancient  lineage 
and  a  high  position  to  consider.  So  slight  a 
breath  of  suspicion  directed  against  you  tarnishes 
so  wide  a  field  of  honor.  I  cannot  wonder  that 
one  who  has  so  many  excellent  reasons  for  being 
solicitous  of  her  own  good  repute  should  take  it 
upon  herself  to  intrude  upon  the  privacy  of  a  poor 
actress's  private  affairs  to  warn  her  against  giving 
grounds  for  misrepresentation.  I  am  well  aware 
that  it  is  only  the  difference  in  our  rank  that  has 
made  you  feel  at  liberty  to  broach  this  subject  to 
me.  Were  I  of  your  own  social  standing  you 

ii 


1 62  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

would  doubtless  have  hesitated  to  visit  me  upon 
such  an  errand  as  has  brought  you  here  to-day. 
But,  while  I  thank  you  for  your  condescension 
and  charitable  interference  in  my  concerns,  I  must 
decline  to  profit  by  both,  feeling  myself  as  well 
qualified  to  guard  my  as  yet  unstained  name  as 
even  '  Mrs.  Dicky  Quintard,'  with  all  her  manifold 
reasons  for  being  scrupulous,  has  shown  herself 
capable  of  defending  that  of  her  husband." 

I  went  through  the  long  speech  to  its  very  end 
in  a  smooth,  perfectly  courteous,  and  gentle  voice. 
Any  one  hearing  the  intonation  and  not  the  words 
would  have  believed  me  discoursing  most  amicably 
upon  the  casual  topics  of  an  afternoon  call.  But 
the  woman  upon  whose  ears  my  words  dropped 
like  stinging-nettles  did  not  so  misconceive  my 
even  manner.  For  an  instant  I  think  I  really 
shamed  her  bold  assurance,  for  her  black  eyes 
dropped  abashed  beneath  my  still  smiling  glance. 
Then  she  rose  and  stood  before  me,  fastening  the 
hooks  of  a  magnificent  outer  garment,  which  gave 
an  air  of  splendid  distinction  to  her  figure,  with 
hands  that  trembled  visibly  with  rage. 

"  You  are  insulting,"  she  said,  when  she  could 
command  her  voice.  "  But  I  was  prepared  for 
that.  I  scarcely  hoped  to  meet  with  forbearance 
and  fine  feeling  in  one  who  keeps  a  paid  spy  in  the 
houses  of  those  whom  she  means  to  despoil  of  their 
peace  and  honor." 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  163 

"  That  will  do,"  I  said,  quietly  but  peremptorily, 
rising  in  my  turn.  "  If  you  are  prepared  for  insult 
I  am  not,  and  I  therefore  decline  to  take  part  in 
a  conflict  of  words  in  which  you  have  so  obvious 
an  advantage.  Just  what  you  hoped  to  effect  in 
coming  here  I  do  not  know,  Mrs.  Quintard ;  but, 
although  the  object  of  your  visit  indicated  by  your 
preliminary  remarks  was  sufficiently  offensive  to 
warrant  my  turning  you  with  scant  courtesy  from 
my  doors,  yet  I  am  not  willing  that  you  should 
depart  without  a  certain  assurance  from  me.  That 
much  I  owe  to  my  own  woman-  and  mother- 
hood. For  you  as  a  wife  and  woman  I  have  abso- 
lutely no  respect.  (You  see  the  reassurance  you 
desire  is  going  to  cost  you  something  in  the  way 
of  listening  to  home-truths.)  I  know  hundreds  of 
women  in  my  profession  who  would  blush  (al- 
though you  imagine  our  emotions  are  but  painted 
things)  to  feel  their  names  so  attainted  as  is  yours. 
But  for  you  as  a  mother,  being  such  myself,  I  have 
fellow-feeling  and  consideration.  I  believe  that 
you  honestly  love  your  son  and  are  solicitous  for 
his  welfare.  Therefore  I  wish  to  ease  your  mind 
regarding  his  devotion  to  me.  It  is  true  he  is 
much  with  me ;  it  is  true  he  fancies  he  loves  me ; 
it  is  true  I  encourage  his  visiting  me,  and  that  I 
accept  such  attentions  as  he  chooses  to  pay.  But 
it  is  likewise  true  that  I  am  as  devoted  to  his  best 
interests  as  you  can  be ;  that  if  I  love  him  it  is  as 


164  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

a  son  or  younger  brother ;  that  my  house,  what- 
ever may  be  falsely  charged  against  it,  is  not  a  centre 
of  wickedness  and  sin,  but  a  home  whose  hearth- 
stone is  as  pure  and  unsullied  as — well,  the  nat- 
ural comparison  is  not  very  apposite,  so  I  will  not 
employ  it,  but  will  content  myself  with  a  mere 
assertion  of  stainlessness.  If  your  son  chooses 
to  continue  his  visits  to  me,  it  is  not  I  that  shall 
bid  him  cease  them,  I  am  too  selfish  for  that ;  but, 
I  promise  you,  Allan  Quintard's  mother,  that  your 
son,  the  boy  we  both  love,  shall  neither  mentally 
nor  morally  come  to  harm  through  propinquity 
with  me." 

She  bore  with  me  heroically  to  the  end  of  my 
speech,  perhaps  hoping  more  satisfactory  results 
than  those  she  gained.  As  I  concluded  with  the 
lofty  air  of  one  conscious  of  the  integrity  of  her 
professions,  she  threw  back  into  my  keeping  the 
pledges  I  had  given  her  as  one  tosses  aside  a 
valueless  and  disappointing  gift. 

"  Mentally  and  morally !"  she  sneered.  "  Your 
sacrifice  is  a  cheap  one !  It  costs  you  little.  How 
far  will  you  consider  him  socially  and  financially  ? 
That  is  far  more  to  the  point.  You  will  ruin  his 
chances  of  making  a  brilliant  marriage,  and  squeeze 
his  purse  as  you  would  a  juicy  orange,  doubtless. 
Can  I  make  terms  with  you  to  spare  him  in  these 
two  regards  as  well  ?  I  am  disposed  to  be  liberal 
in  my  offers." 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  165 

I  returned  her  glance  for  one  icy  moment  of 
contempt.  Then  I  swept  across  the  room  and  laid 
a  finger  on  the  bell. 

"  In  those  regards  he  shall  go  the  length  of  his 
tether,"  said  I,  with  a  cold  little  laugh  of  disdain, 
and  I  turned  to  Stone,  who  appeared  in  answer  to 
my  summons,  and  bade  him  show  Mrs.  Quintard 
to  her  carriage. 

And  when  she  had  gone  and  I  was  again  alone 
with  that  poor  self  of  mine  that  has  none  to  pro- 
tect or  comfort  it  in  its  isolation,  I  flung  my  body 
on  a  lounge  and  my  spirit  into  tumult,  to  battle 
with  all  sorts  of  wretched  and  agonizing  reflections 
that  harassed  and  beset  it. 

Never  had  I  felt  myself  so  alone  as  in  that  hour. 
Never  had  I  so  appreciated  the  loss  of  caste  suffered 
by  women  who  cater  to  the  diversion  of  the  world. 
Never  had  I  so  realized  the  impotency  of  one  who 
stands  before  the  sight  of  men  in  a  false  position. 
For  the  first  time  in  my  life  all  the  advantages 
accruing  to  the  successful  actress  were  lost  sight 
of  in  the  overwhelming  injury  sustained  by  the 
suffering  woman.  My  eyes  were  suddenly  opened 
to  the  fact  that  of  my  own  free  will  I  had  unveiled 
my  personality  to  the  world  and  had  courted,  at 
least  passively,  the  criticism  and  disparagement  of 
such  as  paused  to  consider  me. 

I  am  a  proud  woman,  and  the  reflection  that 
Irene  Quintard,  of  whom  I  knew  so  many  evil 


1 66  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

things,  felt  privileged,  through  mere  advantage  of 
position,  to  venture  within  the  very  precincts  of 
my  home  for  the  purpose  of  impeaching  a  moral 
integrity  vastly  superior  to  her  own,  created  within 
me  a  fierce  resentment.  I  knew  her  to  be  false  as 
a  woman,  faithless  as  a  wife,  scandalous  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  high  caste.  The  noblest  prerogatives 
of  a  great  position  and  immense  wealth  were  indif- 
ferently scorned  and  flouted  by  her.  She  neither  felt 
nor  assumed  any  of  the  weighty  responsibilities 
entailed  upon  the  incumbent  of  a  large  fortune  and 
splendid  estate.  Her  birthright  and  her  command 
of  means  she  esteemed  only  as  they  secured  to 
her  wider  license  of  conduct  and  an  easier  latitude 
of  action  than  others  enjoyed.  With  her  it  was 
not  Noblesse  oblige,  but  Noblesse  permets,  and  the 
richer  purple  of  her  blood  was  of  consequence  only 
as  it  enabled  her  to  form  laws  or  rather  liberties 
unto  herself. 

And  such  a  woman  as  this  Richard  Quintard 
allowed  still  to  support  his  name,  while  I  was  re- 
garded with  contumely.  And  all  because  Report 
for  decades  upon  decades  had  looked  upward  in 
smiling  obsequiousness  to  those  in  her  position, 
while  it  had  frowned  heavily  down  upon  my  poor 
sisterhood. 

How  unevenly  were  the  things  of  this  life  dis- 
tributed !  How  unfair,  how  altogether  out  of  pro- 
portion was  the  division !  Here  were  opportuni- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  167 

ties  neglected,  occasions  gone  to  waste,  honor  and 
respect  ruthlessly  contemned,  and  rare  and  precious 
privileges  which  should  have  satisfied  the  ambition 
of  any  human  being  all  squandered  by  the  capri- 
cious humor  of  one  whose  soul  was  mere  sense, 
while  I  and  hundreds  of  others  who  would  have 
turned  those  chances  to  royal  account  were  forced 
to  hack  for  ourselves  a  way  through  an  unknown 
and  dangerous  wilderness,  which  offered  no  gratui- 
tous emolument,  and  whose  unsuspected  pitfalls 
often  betrayed  even  those  whose  efforts  were  most 
sincere. 

It  was  a  bitter  half-hour  that  I  spent  there  by 
myself,  reflecting  upon  the  humiliation  I  had  en- 
dured at  the  hands  of  Richard  Quintard  and  his 
wife.  In  that  interval  I  hated  them  both  in  equal 
measure ;  the  one  that  he  had  permitted  miscon- 
ception to  betray  our  friendship,  and  the  other  that 
she  had  so  deeply  affronted  my  self-respect.  And 
then,  for  I  was  tired  and  worn  out  physically  and 
miserably  sick  at  heart,  I  lost  something  of  the 
fierceness  of  my  mood  and  fell  aweeping  over  my 
own  solitariness  and  home-sickness  for  a  home  I 
had  never  known  save  in  imagination.  It  was  true 
I  had  Jean  with  me,  and  that  the  good  little  soul 
was  absolutely  devoted  to  my  service,  but  she  did 
not  belong  to  me,  she  was  not  bone  of  my  bone 
and  flesh  of  my  flesh ;  where  she  was  my  heart  of 
necessity  was  not,  and  I  felt  a  sudden  need  of  a 


-i  6  8  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

love  whose  atmosphere  should  be  as  indispensable 
to  me  as  the  air  I  breathed,  which  should  draw  me 
with  cords  of  irresistible  sympathy  and  compre- 
hension to  the  place  it  inhabited,  in  whose  bound- 
less seas  my  bruised  and  sore  spirit  should  bathe 
and  be  refreshed. 

And  I  had  such  a  love  at  command.  What  folly 
was  that  which  made  me  defer  the  enjoyment  of  it 
a  moment  longer !  I  rose  swiftly  and  approached 
my  buhl  secretary.  I  had  formed  an  exhilarating 
resolution,  and  not  an  instant  should  be  lost  in 
executing  it.  I  would  summon  Lisa  from  her 
convent  now,  at  once,  before  I  had  time  to  recon- 
sider my  resolve,  before  prudence  should  again 
play  spoil-sport  and  counsel  further  postponement. 
Jean  should  be  at  once  despatched  for  her  with  a 
note  requesting  the  mother  to  deliver  her  charge  to 
the  bearer  immediately.  The  child's  joy  would  be 
extravagant.  I  pictured  her  lovely  face  alight  with 
that  glorious  radiance  which  was  peculiar  to  it  in 
its  moments  of  rejoicing.  I  felt  her  slender,  loving 
arms  about  my  neck,  her  sweet  lips  pressed  to 
mine,  her  heart  resting  upon  my  breast  I  looked 
about  the  room,  and  sought  to  discover  her  pres- 
ence in  it.  Already  a  new  beauty  seemed  to  invest 
it.  I  bethought  me  of  the  exquisite  raiment  she 
should  wear,  and  even,  before  beginning  my  note, 
sat  for  an  instant  nib-trying  the  pen-point  purpose- 
lessly upon  my  thumb-nail,  as  I  considered  what 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  169 

flowers  should  be  ordered  in  abundance  to  give 
welcome  to  my  daughter. 

A  has  with  the  Quintards,  father,  mother,  and 
son !  What  were  they  to  me  when  I  had  such 
precious  and  legitimate  interests  of  my  own  within 
call !  I  smiled  defiance  at  their  united  powers  to 
distress  me  further,  and,  drawing  a  sheet  of  paper 
towards  me,  wrote  as  follows : 

"  DEAR  AND  HOLY  MOTHER, — I  have  exceeding 
and  urgent  need  of  my  child.  Her  presence  has 
become  of  vital  necessity  to  me.  You  remember 
counselling  me  once  against  temptation,  and  how 
boastfully  contemptuous  I  was  of  your  warning. 
The  suffering  you  foreshadowed  has  come  to  me, 
and  I  need  my  Lisa  to  help  me  support  it.  Let 
her  come  at  once,  please.  I  have  no  patience  with 
delay.  My  professional  engagements  do  not  per- 
mit of  my  leaving  New  York  long  enough  to  go 
for  Lisa,  but  I  send  this  by  one  in  whom  I  have 
implicit  confidence,  and  into  whose  care  you  may 
safely  deliver  the  child.  I  am  harassed  and 
troubled  to-day  and  cannot  write  you  at  greater 
length,  but  you  shall  soon  hear  from  me  more 
explicitly. 

"  Yours,  with  all  reverence  and  esteem, 

"PAULINE  MAVIS." 

I  reread  the  note,  having  finished  it,  and  it  did 
not  seem  half  strong  enough.  I  could  not  bear 


170  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

the  thought,  now  that  I  had  become  resolved  upon 
having  Lisa  with  me,  that  they  might  detain  her 
upon  some  pretext  yet  awhile  longer,  and  send  my 
messenger  back  alone.  So  I  added  a  more  peremp- 
tory postscript : 

"  Please  let  no  scruples,  nor  reasons  of  any  sort 
whatever,  stand  in  the  way  of  her  coming." 

Just  as  I  finished  the  last  word,  to  my  great  vex- 
ation, for  I  was  in  no  condition  either  of  mind  or 
countenance  to  receive  any  one,  the  door  opened 
and  Stone  announced,  "  Madame  Conquest."  The 
next  instant,  and  before  I  could  refuse  to  see  her, 
the  woman  herself  was  in  the  room. 

She  saluted  me  in  a  far  less  aggressive  fashion 
than  I  was  accustomed  to  from  her,  and  I  felt  my 
sympathies  at  first  provoked  by  her  general  air  of 
shabbiness  and  adversity.  But  when,  after  a  little 
circumlocution,  intended  obviously  from  its  flatter- 
ing tone  to  propitiate  me,  she  made  known  her 
errand,  I  felt  my  pity  and  commiseration  vanish 
into  thin  air  and  leave  nothing  but  substantial 
scorn  behind  them.  She  had  come  to  extort 
money  from  me, — by  blandishments,  if  possible ; 
by  threats,  if  not. 

But  if  ever  I  were  in  an  implacable  mood  that 
surely  was  the  hour.  I  disliked  the  woman  from 
the  bottom  of  my  soul,  and  had  always  despised 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  171 

her.  To-day  I  felt  an  especial  animosity  against 
her,  for  it  was  she  and  such  as  she  who  had  robbed 
the  stage  of  its  good  repute  and  subjected  its  chil- 
dren to  the  opprobrium  of  the  world.  She  began 
by  flattering  me ;  she  expatiated  upon  my  beauty, 
my  genius,  the  rank  I  had  attained  in  the  pro- 
fession, the  wide  and  enviable  celebrity  I  had 
gained.  With  my  success  she  contrasted  her  own 
failure,  neglecting,  however,  to  mention  after  what 
different  methods  we  had  ordered  our  lives.  Inci- 
dentally, not  resentfully,  but  as  if  it  were  an  ac- 
cepted and  indisputable  factor  in  her  misfortunes, 
she  alluded  to  the  eclipse  into  which  she  had  al- 
ways maintained  I  had  thrown  her  career  by  tem- 
porarily substituting  for  her,  and  then,  by  an  easy 
and  seemingly  natural  transition,  she  passed  into  a 
statement  of  her  present  financial  straits,  and  ended 
by  asking  me  for  a  loan. 

I  at  once  refused  her  petition.  No  one,  I  think, 
can  accuse  me  truthfully  of  niggardliness,  but  all 
cases  of  poverty  do  not  present  themselves  to  me 
as  worthy  of  charity.  Ever  since  Lisa  had  spoken 
to  me  of  this  woman's  unhappily  situated  daughter 
I  had  felt  a  strong  inclination  to  do  something  for 
the  poor  girl's  relief.  I  pitied  from  the  bottom 
of  my  heart  a  child  whose  pure  nature  revolted  at 
the  thought  of  being  forced  to  accept  such  as  Nita 
Conquest  for  a  mother.  I  had  been  maturing  a 
plan  which  I  thought  might  be  of  advantage  to  the 


172  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

girl,  and  I  now  concluded  to  broach  it  to  the 
woman.  Before  I  could  speak,  however,  such  a 
change  passed  over  her  manner  that  all  desire  to 
assist  or  relieve  her  in  any  way  whatever  was 
driven  from  my  mind.  It  was  immediately  ap- 
parent that  all  her  suavity  and  adulation  were 
mere  sycophancy,  assumed  for  a  purpose.  She 
became  in  an  instant  as  menacing  and  ugly  as  she 
had  heretofore  been  smooth  and  oily. 

"  I  supposed  you'd  refuse  me,"  she  said.  "  But 
you're  a  fool;  you  might  just  as  well  give  when 
you're  asked  as  when  you're  threatened.  Then 
you  could  save  your  pride  that  you're  so  consid- 
erate of." 

I  remembered  then  as  she  spoke  what  I  had  till 
now  forgotten :  that  I  had  commissioned  my  father 
to  secure  her  silence  towards  Lisa  concerning  my 
profession.  Now,  with  that  exponent  of  my  newly 
formed  resolution  lying  open  on  my  desk,  ready 
for  immediate  transmission,  fear  of  exposure  no 
longer  troubled  me,  and  therefore  I  could  quite 
easily  return  her  glance  of  would-be  intimidation 
with  a  smile  of  calm  confidence. 

"  In  this  case  I  shall  give  neither  when  I  am 
asked  nor  if  I  am  threatened,"  I  returned,  quietly. 
"  You  have  delayed  too  long  making  capital  of 
your  power  to  balk  my  wishes  regarding  my 
daughter.  As  you  entered  I  was  just  finishing  a 
letter  to  the  mother-superior  desiring  her  to  send 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  173 

her  to  me  by  the  bearer  of  my  note.  But,  that 
you  may  not  blame  yourself  needlessly  for  not 
putting  your  purpose  into  earlier  execution,  let  me 
tell  you  that,  at  no  time  nor  under  any  circum- 
stances, should  I  have  been  induced  to  pay  one 
penny  more  for  the  preservation  of  my  secret 
than  the  amount  I  had  already  assigned  for  that 
purpose." 

She  flung  her  head  into  the  air  with  a  gesture 
of  inexpressible  contempt. 

"  Oh,  that  1"  she  cried.  "  You  don't  suppose  I 
thought  you  paid  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  to 
keep  your  girl  from  finding  out  that  you're  an 
actress,  do  you?  We  know,  Picot  and  I,  what 
your  little  game  is.  We  know  our  business,  we 
do.  We  had  a  good  laugh,  I  can  tell  you,  over 
the  way  you  put  it.  As  if  we  didn't  know  that 
you  wanted  these  swells  to  be  kept  dark  about 
there  being  a  girl  of  yours  in  hiding  until  you  had 
got  that  young  chap  to  marry  you !  And  I  guess, 
although  you  try  to  brazen  it  out  pretty  well,  that 
my  secret's  worth  about  as  much  as  it  ever  was, 
isn't  it?" 

I  was  about  rising  to  my  feet  to  order  her  out 
of  my  presence,  for  my  sorely  taxed  spirit  had 
borne  about  all  of  insult  it  was  capable  of  enduring 
in  one  day,  when  the  door  opened  and  Stone  ap- 
peared, bearing  a  small  card  upon  his  tiny  salver. 

"  Beg  pardon,  madame,"  he  explained,  "  but  Mr. 


174  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

Quintard  would  not  allow  me  to  announce  him. 
He  thought  it  might  be  inconvenient  for  you  to 
receive  him,  but  he  would  be  very  glad  if  you 
would  see  him  for  a  few  minutes  on  an  important 
matter." 

I  had  been  stirred  that  day  to  the  depths  of  my 
being.  I  was  still  all  atremble  with  fierce  resent- 
ment of  the  indignities  which  had  been  so  merci- 
lessly heaped  upon  me.  Yet  I  could  have  sus- 
tained a  far  greater  burden  of  contumely  with 
more  equanimity  than  I  could  summon  to  the 
mere  holding  of  that  bit  of  pasteboard.  For  the 
syllables  upon  it,  "  Richard  Eton  Quintard,"  had 
magic  power  over  me,  and  I  could  not  withstand 
their  influence. 

"  Ask  Mr.  Quintard  to  wait  a  few  moments  in 
the  reception-room,"  I  said.  "  I  shall  be  almost 
immediately  disengaged."  Then  I  turned  to  my 
despised  visitor.  "  I  have  no  more  words  to  waste 
upon  you,"  I  said.  "  I  cannot  believe  that  you 
really  imagine  that  I  would  lower  myself  to  at- 
tempt to  refute  such  an  infamous  charge  as  that 
you  have  brought  against  me.  There  is  my  door. 
It  is  my  wish,  which  I  shall  be  careful  to  repeat  to 
my  servant,  that  you  never  enter  it  again.  That  is 
all  I  have  to  say  to  you." 

I  turned  my  back  deliberately  upon  her,  and  left 
her  standing  there,  with  baffled  hatred  and  angry 
disappointment  in  her  eyes.  I  think  she  did  not 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  175 

believe  but  that  it  was  my  earnest  desire  to  conceal 
the  fact  of  Lisa's  existence  from  the  world  until  I 
should  have  matured  the  ambitious  designs  she 
attributed  to  me,  but  she  did  feel  assured  that  she 
could  not  by  any  possibility  extort  fresh  financial 
concessions  from  me.  Hence  her  rage. 

I  gave  no  further  thought  to  her  at  the  moment. 
One  all-important  consideration  occupied  my  mind 
to  the  exclusion  of  taunts,  threats,  objurgations, 
and  insult.  It  was  enough  for  me  to  reflect  upon, 
as  I  stood  before  my  mirror  and  sought  to  restore 
something  of  composure  to  my  appearance,  that 
there  waited  in  the  other  room  the  man  for  whom 
I  would  gladly,  even  in  the  hour  of  my  bitterest 
resentment  against  him,  have  laid  down  my  life. 
What  had  he  come  for?  What  necessity  could 
force  a  man  who  had  once  been  forbidden  a 
woman's  house  to  expose  himself  again  to  her  in- 
hospitality  ?  Had  he,  perchance,  come  to  bargain 
with  me  for  his  son's  liberty  ?  Had  his  wife,  per- 
haps, bidden  him  invade  the  absurd  privacy  in 
which  the  actress  attempted  to  shelter  and  offer 
such  terms  for  the  surrender  of  her  prey  as  would 
tempt  her  natural  and  professional  cupidity  ?  The 
little  laugh  which  the  silent  room  gave  back  to  me 
was  so  hollow  and  mirthless  that  I  shivered. 

I  took  a  lovely,  fleecy  wrap  of  white  marabout 
and  soft  blue  silk  and  threw  it  over  me,  for  I  was, 
in  truth,  cold  from  prolonged  nervous  strain.  I 


176  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

glanced  in  the  glass  to  see  if  it  in  any  measure 
dispersed  the  look  of  age  and  suffering  that  seemed 
suddenly  to  have  been  graven  on  my  countenance. 
Alas,  no !  My  own  face,  the  face  that  it  was  the 
fashion  to  laud  and  commend  for  its  youthful  mo- 
bility and  vivacity  as  well  as  for  its  beauty,  had 
grown  strange  and  unfamiliar  to  me  by  reason  of 
the  haunting  sadness  of  which  I  found  it  impos- 
sible to  relieve  it.  A  sigh,  almost  a  sob,  came 
welling  up  from  a  sea  of  troubled  feeling  which 
seemed  to  have  submerged  my  whole  being,  but 
I  set  my  teeth  hard  and  promised  my  pride  to 
guard  it  from  self-betrayal  in  the  coming  interview. 
Then  I  returned  to  the  drawing-room. 

I  shivered  again  as  I  entered  the  apartment.  I 
was  growing  to  hate  it  as  the  scene  of  horrid  expe- 
riences. But  I  went  resolutely  to  the  bell,  and 
when  Stone  appeared  bade  him  shown  in  Mr. 
Quintard.  When  my  guest  presented  himself  he 
might  well  have  coveted  my  composure. 

I  stood  by  the  mantel  as  my  guest  entered,  for 
I  intended  thus  to  convey  my  purpose  of  making 
the  interview  a  brief  one.  Long  training  in  the 
art  of  assuming  fictitious  emotions  permitted  me 
to  display  a  calm  face  and  assured  manner,  but  I 
dare  say  my  cheeks  were  very  white,  and  that  suf- 
fering had  somewhat  altered  my  expression  since 
last  Richard  Quintard  had  seen  me,  for  his  first 
words  were  a  reflection  upon  my  looks. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  177 

He  came  into  the  room  with  a  set,  stern  face, 
which  filled  with  troubled  surprise  as  his  eyes 
lighted  upon  me. 

"Good  God!"  he  ejaculated,  as  I  murmured 
some  conventional  syllables  of  mere  salutation. 
Then,  approaching  me  more  hurriedly  and  appar- 
ently forgetful  of  his  errand  in  this  new  occasion 
for  solicitude  which  had  suddenly  dawned  upon 
him,  "  What  has  happened  ?  what  have  you  been 
doing  to  yourself?"  he  asked,  roughly,  in  the 
brusque,  unceremonious  tone  one  .uses  in  inquiring 
concerning  his  own. 

I  was  less  strong  than  I  had  thought  myself. 
The  day  had  been  a  hard  one.  I  felt  my  limbs 
becoming  mere  trembling  traitors ;  even  the  arm 
that  supported  me  against  the  mantel  shook  under 
my  weight.  I  had  not  prepared  myself  for  his 
sympathy  or  consideration.  I  should  not  have 
blenched  beneath  his  scorn  or  anger.  I  motioned 
him  to  a  chair  and  sank  into  one  myself. 

"  Nothing,"  I  replied,  desperately  strengthening 
the  voice  that  sounded  so  feeble.  "  Nothing ;  I  am 
well,  but  very  tired.  Please  tell  me  your  errand  at 
once.  I  have  had  a  hard  day,  and  must  have  some 
rest  before  night.  You  have  come,  of  course,  with 
an  object.  I  am  sure  you  would  not  have  disre- 
garded my  wishes  else.  It  is — what?" 

But  he  paid  no  heed  to  my  request  that  he 
should  make  known  the  purpose  of  his  visit,  nor  did 


178  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

he  respond  to  my  invitation  to  be  seated.  He  still 
stood  looking  at  me  with  that  shocked,  startled 
gaze,  and  I  could  not  restrain  my  eyes  from  rising 
to  meet  his  searching  glance.  I  had  thought  I 
hated  and  was  grown  indifferent  to  him,  but,  ah,  I 
found  it  good  to  look  upon  him,  even  with  re- 
sentment. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  he  asked  again  presently,  with 
stronger  insistence.  "  Pauline,  what  has  changed 
you  so  ?  Not  I, — surely  not  I  ?" 

I  laughed  a  sore,  heart-sick  little  laugh. 

"  You — and  some  others,"  I  answered,  and 
could  say  no  more  for  a  moment,  as  a  miserable 
little  sob  came  rising  into  my  throat,  choking  my 
free  utterance.  After  all,  even  with  the  hope  of 
Lisa's  companionship,  I  was  desperately  wretched. 
I  was  sad  Bo-peep  crying  for  the  vanished  illu- 
sions that  had  strayed  from  the  keeping  of  my 
imagination.  And,  alas  !  there  was  no  voice  to 
reassure  me  as  to  their  return  within  the  fold. 
They  were  gone  forever,  those  pretty  conceits  of 
mine,  that  I,  the  favorite  of  the  public,  was  their 
honored  lady  as  well ;  that  the  world-wide  renown 
my  talents  had  gained  was  accompanied  by  equal 
esteem  for  my  virtue  and  character ;  that  the  ac- 
tress, whatever  her  rank  in  her  profession,  who 
kept  her  life  pure  and  unsullied,  was  capable  of 
holding  her  reputation  above  reproach  in  the  eyes 
of  men.  I  had  acquired  the  knowledge  that,  how- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  179 

ever  discreet  and  circumspect  she  may  be,  the 
actress  is  the  lawful  property  of  Scandal.  Calumny 
possesses  over  her  fame  the  right  of  eminent  do- 
main, and  the  custom  of  centuries  is  not  to  be 
reversed  by  individuals. 

Richard  Quintard's  face  darkened. 

"  I  and  some  others !"  he  repeated.  "  I  under- 
stand. It  is  to  beg  your  forgiveness  for  her  visit 
that  I  come  here  now.  And  that  villain  of  a  Picot ! 
Put  him  into  my  hands  and  he  shall  no  longer  prey 
upon  you.  There  is  a  law  which  concerns  black- 
mailers. Let  me  see  that  it  reaches  him." 

I  made  a  gesture  of  contempt  as  I  leaned  my 
head  wearily  back  upon  the  soft  padded  chair. 

"  He  does  not  trouble  me,"  I  said.  "  He  has  no 
power  over  me,  nor  ever  had.  That  is  another 
of  your  unjust  suspicions.  The  only  hold  he  has 
upon  me  he  is  himself  unconscious  of." 

An  expression  of  perplexity  came  into  the  glance 
that  was  bent  upon  me. 

"  No  power  !  But — pardon  me — the  secret  of 
your  daughter's  existence, — you,  yourself,  corrob- 
orated it  in  your  letter  to  me." 

I  started  forward  in  my  chair,  my  lassitude  for- 
gotten in  this  sudden  recognition  of  how  the  cur  I 
had  befriended  had  sought  to  bite  my  hand. 

"  Ah !"  I  cried,  "  so  he  imposed  that  story  upon 
you,  out  of  revenge  doubtless,  for  he  does  not  love 
me  overmuch,  I  know.  He  told  you  that  I  have 


180  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

a  daughter  of  whose  existence  I  am  ashamed  ;  that 
I  have  her  hidden  safely  away  in  a  convent,  and 
that  I  pay  well  to  maintain  secrecy  concerning  her. 
And  you,  naturally,  as  I  am  an  actress,  believed 
him  without  confirmation  or  proof.  You  would 
not  have  accepted  such  a  tale  without  better  au- 
thority had  the  matter  concerned  a  woman  of  your 
wife's  standing,  but  of  a  dancer,  a  public  player, 
one  may  credit  anything." 

I  rose  and  clasped  my  hands  together  in  quick 
and  hot  impatience. 

"Oh,  I  am  sick  of  this  injustice!"  cried  I,  in 
bitter  protest.  "  I  have  ordered  my  life  well  and 
decently.  I  have  guarded  my  honor  so  that  no 
man  living  can  point  the  finger  of  reproach  at  me  ; 
I  have  kept  my  dead  husband's  name  bright  and 
untarnished.  And  what  does  it  all  avail  me  in 
connection  with  the  fact  that  I  am  an  actress  ?  A 
preconception  of  the  professional  character  exists, 
and  for  that  I  suffer.  Verily  and  alas !  the  sins  of 
the  parents  of  the  stage  are  visited  upon  the  chil- 
dren unduly." 

I  turned  and  walked  from  him  away  to  the  win- 
dow that  I  might  hide  my  distress.  But  he  fol- 
lowed close  upon  my  steps  and  accosted  me  in 
self-justification. 

"  You  are  harsh  and  severe,"  he  said,  gloomily 
but  half-apologetically.  "You  forget  that  I  had 
grounds  for  placing  faith  in  what  the  man  said. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  1 8 1 

There  was  your  letter,  and  there  was  also  the  ex- 
cessive double-gift  of  money." 

I  faced  him  scornfully. 

"  And  both  of  these  you  construed  according  to 
the  low  estimate  in  which  are  held  the  motives  and 
actions  of  women  of  my  calling.  Had  you  come 
to  me  for  information  I  might  have  given  you  a 
different  explanation ;  I  might  have  told  you,  for 
instance,  that  the  man  was  deceiving  you,  and  that 
the  secret  I  wished  to  guard  had  no  concern  for 
the  world,  and  did  not  relate  to  the  fact  of  my 
child's  existence,  but  that  it  was  a  simple  matter 
between  her  and  me,  having  for  its  object  my  desire 
to  keep  her  in  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  my  pro- 
fession until  I  should  have  retired  from  the  stage 
forever." 

I  could  see  in  the  face  which  I  confronted  incre- 
dulity too  guarded  to  express  itself  openly. 

"  You  do  not  believe  me !"  I  exclaimed.  "  Well, 
it  is  a  matter  of  no  consequence  to  me.  I  am  con- 
tent to  know  myself  that  I  have  no  more  reason  to 
blush  for  my  child's  existence  than  have  you  for 
Allan's.  I  care  not  whether  or  no  others  believe 
it." 

A  very  pained  and  distressed  expression  came 
into  the  man's  dark-gray  eyes.  He  hesitated  an 
instant  as  if  in  uncertainty.  Then  said, — 

"  You  will  think  me  a  brute  to  insist,  but  I  can't 
help  it.  If  you  could  know  what  I  have  been 


1 82  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

through,  you  would  forgive  me,  I  think,  and  have 
compassion  for  me  even  if  I  offend.  But  that 
money !  It  was  so  large  an  amount  to  pay  for  so 
paltry  an  end." 

My  heart  stirred  gladly  even  in  the  midst  of  its 
inquisition.  I  rejoiced  to  feel  that  I  alone  had  not 
been  the  victim  of  his  cruel  injustice.  My  voice 
had  a  lighter  note  in  it  as  I  replied, — 

"  The  end  which  you  believe  the  money  was 
paid  to  secure  was  by  no  means  a  paltry  one.  It 
has  to  do  with  the  only  happiness  the  world  holds 
in  store  for  me, — my  daughter's  love  and  good 
opinion.  But  I  had  another  reason,  quite  inde- 
pendent of  this,  for  enriching  the  man  who  was 
your  servant.  Nature  has  given  him  a  claim  upon 
me  of  which  he  is  ignorant,  and  which  I  do  not 
highly  esteem;  however,  I  cannot  shut  my  eyes 
to  it,  and  therefore  I  have  sought  to  respond  in 
ways  which  perplex  and  relieve  him,  even  while 
they  do  not  further  his  enlightenment." 

I  paused  an  instant,  looking  down  upon  the  rug. 
In  truth,  I  was  not  proud  of  the  fact  I  was  about 
to  divulge.  Aside  from  the  low  rank  to  which  my 
parent  had  fallen,  there  was  a  meanness  and  want 
of  respectability  about  him  that  made  me  loath  to 
call  him  mine.  But  I  drew  myself  together  and, 
with  my  head  held  high,  met  his  glance  of  puzzled 
wonder  proudly  and  with  lofty  disregard  of  conse- 
quences. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  183 

"  The  man  is  my  father,"  I  announced,  simply. 

If  I  had  exploded  a  pistol  in  my  companion's 
face  he  could  not  have  been  more  surprised.  He 
drew  back  and  regarded  me  as  if  I  had  gone 
mad. 

"  What !"  was  all  he  could  find  to  say  in  reply. 

I  smiled  derisively,  holding  myself  a  little  more 
haughtily. 

"  You  are  inconsistent  in  your  amazement,"  I 
said.  "  You  attribute  to  me  all  sorts  of  low  and 
vicious  motives  and  actions ;  you  hold  me  capable 
of  immodesty  and  lack  of  womanly  delicacy ;  you 
perhaps  encouraged  and  abetted  your  wife's  appeal 
to  my  cupidity, — why  should  it  surprise  you  to 
find  me  sprung  from  such  antecedents  ?  Am  I  not 
the  worthy  child  of  a  worthy  father  ?  Do  you  not 
recognize  family  traits  and  characteristics  ?  Look 
closer  at  me.  Perhaps  you  will  find  in  my  coun- 
tenance the  same  features  with  which  you  have 
become  familiar  in  that  of  your  servant.  Do  not 
wonder  hereafter  at  anything  you  may  hear  of  me. 
You  can  easily  account  for  all  lapses  on  the  simple 
ground  that  I  am  my  father's  child." 

As  I  reached  the  end  of  my  little  speech  the 
irony  within  me  suddenly  gave  way  to  a  feeling  of 
shame  and  self-pity.  My  voice  broke  quite  unex- 
pectedly and  I  was  constrained  to  cover  my  face 
with  my  hands  and  retreat  to  a  distance,  where  I 
dropped  helplessly  into  the  nearest  chair  and  sat, 


1 84  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

with  pride  all  undone  and  dignity  routed,  weeping 
like  a  very  child.  My  humiliation  was  now  com- 
plete. I  had  uncovered  the  nakedness  of  my 
chagrin  and  mortification  to  this  man  from  whom 
of  all  others  I  would  fain  have  concealed  them,  and 
nothing  of  comfort  remained  to  me  but  the  impo- 
tent resource  of  tears.  There  is,  as  one  may  see, 
nothing  of  the  heroine  in  me.  I  am  a  disgrace  to 
the  order  of  the  New  Woman.  All  my  attributes 
are  purely  feminine,  and  sentiment  and  emotion 
govern  me  to  a  degree  that  would  provoke  the 
contempt  of  my  stronger  sisterhood.  Menaced  by 
threat  or  danger  I  can  hold  my  own  against  the 
world,  but  my  gentler  sensibilities  yield  easily  to 
assault. 

After  I  finished  my  protest  a  silence  fell  upon 
the  room.  In  my  distant  corner  I  sat  crouching 
disconsolately  above  my  abasement,  and  where  I 
had  left  him  he  remained,  wrapped  in  such  reflec- 
tions as  I  might  only  guess  at. 

The  daylight  was  growing  dim,  for  it  was  late 
afternoon  now,  and  the  flames  upon  the  hearth 
gave  its  chief  illumination  to  the  room.  The  snap- 
ping of  the  logs  assumed  unusual  importance  in 
the  stillness,  being  the  only  sounds  which  echoed 
through  it.  Without  the  closed  doors  which  shut 
off  the  dining-room  I  could  hear  the  quiet  footfall  of 
Stone  as  he  moved  about,  laying  the  table  for  my 
early  dinner.  In  the  midst  of  my  distress  I  feared 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  185 

lest  he  should  remember  his  duty  and  enter  for  the 
purpose  of  lighting  the  lamps. 

Certainly  five  minutes  must  have  passed  before 
Richard  moved.  And  five  minutes  is  a  very  long 
time  when  you  are  sitting  wretched  and  forlorn, 
with  your  head  buried  in  your  hands,  uncertain  as 
to  what  you  had  better  consistently  do  next.  He 
solved  my  difficulty  by  assuming  the  burden  of 
action,  approaching  me  with  a  slow,  deliberate  step 
that  somehow  conveyed  the  assurance  that  a  crisis 
as  well  as  a  person  was  advancing,  and  filled  me 
with  a  strange  sense  of  awe  and  foreboding.  When 
he  stood  quite  close  to  me,  so  that  I  could  feel  the 
nearness  of  his  presence,  for  my  head  was  still 
bowed  between  my  palms,  he  paused,  evidently 
hesitating  yet  to  break  the  quiet  that  prevailed. 
The  moment  was  strongly  significant  to  me  of  some 
weighty  decision  upon  the  man's  part  of  which  I 
was  ignorant.  I  quaked  and  trembled  inwardly, 
apprehending  some  conclusion  that  should  add 
anew  to  my  distress.  But  I  gave  no  sign  even 
that  I  had  noted  his  proximity,  but  sat,  motionless 
and  passive,  awaiting  I  knew  not  what. 

Before  he  spoke  he  leaned  down  and  laid  gentle 
hold  of  my  wrists,  drawing  my  hands  away  from 
my  face  and  into  his  own  clasp.  Oh,  the  tender, 
solicitous  touch  of  the  man  we  love !  What  power 
it  has  over  us  poor  women  !  I  had  no  choice  but 
to  look  up  into  the  face  of  him  in  whose  palms  my 


1 86  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

fingers  lay  imprisoned,  and  meeting  the  light  in 
the  eyes  that  regarded  me,  all  the  resentment  and 
anger  I  had  been  cherishing  against  their  owner 
died  like  a  poorly  rooted  plant  before  the  bright 
rays  of  the  sun. 

" Forgive  me,"  he  said,  quietly;  "but  a  man 
cannot  be  eloquent  in  his  own  defence  unless  he 
may  watch  the  face  of  his  judge.  You  have 
pleaded  well  and  strongly  against  me,  and,  to  my 
infinite  regret,  I  must  admit  that  many  of  your 
charges  are  well  founded.  But,  as  God  is  my  wit- 
ness, I  am  guiltless  of  that  outrage  to  which  you 
have  to-day  been  subjected.  I  had  no  knowledge 
or  suspicion  concerning  it  until  an  hour  ago,  when 
it  was  flaunted  before  my  eyes  in  the  same  spirit 
that  prompts  the  waving  of  a  red  flag  before  a 
bull.  It  was  intended  to  gall  and  madden  me,  and 
it  succeeded,  but  it  also  overleaped  its  aim,  for  it 
has  brought  me  to  you  again,  Pauline,  and  that  the 
woman  who  baited  me  would  have  done  much  to 
prevent.  This  time  your  doors  shall  not  close 
upon  me  as  upon  a  stranger ;  I  swear  they  shall 
not.  It  ill  becomes  a  man  to  shelter  his  offences 
behind  the  skirts  of  a  woman,  but  I  cannot  clear 
myself  in  your  eyes  in  any  degree  unless  I  suggest 
that  you  reflect  what  infinite  resources  for  preju- 
dice an  unscrupulous  and  malicious  woman  may 
avail  herself  of  with  which  to  poison  a  man's  mind. 
She  found  her  ground  well  prepared,  for  I  do  not 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  187 

disguise  the  disillusionment  of  that  night  when  I 
saw  you  as  I  had  never  thought  to  see  you.  Into 
that  ground  she  has  diligently  sowed  a  crop  of 
poisonous  lies  and  calumnies  which  throve  against 
my  will  until  to-day,  when  she  inadvertently  cut 
them  down,  all  and  every  one,  with  the  blade  of 
cruelty.  The  harvest  remains  to  her.  May  it 
prove  profitable !" 

He  waited  a  moment  and  then  dropped  upon 
one  knee  beside  me,  that  he  might  not  look  down 
upon  me  while  begging  my  forgiveness. 

"  I  have  done  you  bitter  injury  in  my  thoughts," 
he  went  on,  and  now  his  voice  began  to  show  the 
strain  of  suppressed  feeling ;  "  will  you  pardon  it  ? 
I  have  offered  you  insult  and  would  have  done 
you  great  wrong ;  can  you  forget  it  ?  I  bring  you 
repentance,  regret,  my  own  suffering,  and  the  de- 
votion of  all  the  remaining  years  of  my  life ;  will 
you  have  them  ?" 

I  looked  at  him  questioningly,  my  hands  trem- 
bling in  his  grasp.  What  did  he  mean  ?  The  de- 
votion of  his  life.  What  was  that  he  offered  me  ? 
Not  fresh  insult.  Surely  not !  Oh,  no ;  not  with 
that  light  in  his  eyes,  that  expression  curving  the 
beautiful  lines  of  his  lips.  But  how  could  I  reply, 
not  knowing  what  he  meant  ? 

Yet  I  bethought  me  that  I  could  grant  him  the 
grace  he  craved,  even  while  ignorant  as  to  the  val- 
uation of  the  gift  he  offered.  I  could  not  hold  out 


1 88  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

against  his  humility.  I  had  condoned  all  his  of- 
fences in  that  instant  when  I  felt  the  tenderness  of 
his  touch. 

"  You  have  hurt  me,"  I  said,  for  I  had  no  mind 
that  he  should  lightly  estimate  the  great  wrong  he 
had  done  me.  "  I  do  not  suppose  you,  who  are  a 
man,  can  imagine  how  I,  a  woman,  have  grieved 
and  suffered  by  your  suspicions.  But  I  forgive 
you.  Your  repentance  and  suffering  and  regret 
shall  condone  your  fault.  I  am  willing  to  accept 
them  as  compensation." 

"  And  my  love  and  devotion  ?"  he  urged,  looking 
at  me  steadfastly  and  serenely.  "  You  say  nothing 
of  them.  There  shall  come  a  time,  and  that  soon, 
when  I  may  offer  them  to  you  in  all  honor  and 
loyalty.  Pauline,  how  shall  it  be  then  ?  Will  you 
have  them  likewise  ?" 

My  heart  leaped  in  my  bosom.  There  could  be 
but  one  meaning  in  his  words. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  you  are  to  divorce  your 
wife  ?"  I  asked,  very  gravely. 

"Yes." 

"  Is  it  because  of  me  you  are  putting  her  from 
you  ?"  I  looked  him  searchingly  in  the  eyes. 

"  No.  I  had  determined  to  do  so  before  I  ever 
laid  eyes  upon  you,"  he  replied. 

"  Why  have  you  so  long  delayed,  then  ?" 

He  hesitated,  and  I  saw  that  he  would  have 
evaded  the  question  if  he  could  have  done  so. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  189 

But  he  was  not  one  to  descend  to  subterfuge  or 
prevarication,  and  he  gave  me  honestly  the  direct 
answer  I  wanted. 

"  Because  of  Allan.  I  did  not  want  his  home 
divided  against  him.  I  meant  to  wait  until  he  had 
left  it  for  one  of  his  own  making." 

"  It  was  a  good  resolve,"  I  responded.  "  Why 
have  you  broken  it  ?" 

His  look  fell  before  my  gently  judicial  one.  He 
had  not  been  prepared  for  such  merciless  probing. 
Love  me  he  might,  and  proudly  I  believe  he  did ; 
but  know  me, — ah,  that  he  did  not  then,  though 
since  he  has  come  to  rate  me  more  justly. 

"  Because — why,  because " 

My  face  had  doubtless  warned  him  that  the 
reason  for  his  changed  determination  would  not 
be  acceptable  to  me,  and  he  was  casting  about  for 
the  least  objectionable  phrasing  for  his  reply  when 
I  interrupted  him.  I  rose  to  my  feet  as  did  he  also, 
and  standing  close  by  him,  independent  now  in  my 
great  happiness  of  all  support,  I  said,  with  gentle 
dignity  but  resolute  firmness, — 

"Because  you  have  since  met  me,  is  it  not? 
Yes,  I  know  that  is  it  You  have  made  me  a  glad 
and  happy  woman  this  day,  Mr.  Quintard.  I  feel 
that  I  have  recovered  my  lost  place  in  your  esteem. 
But  one  grows  to  be  very  cautious  concerning  that 
which  has  once  escaped  from  the  grasp.  I  dare 
not  trifle  with  your  newly  regained  respect  for  me 


190  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

by  permitting  you  to  divorce  your  wife  on  my 
account.  Besides  which,  I  have  a  conscience,  ac- 
tress though  I  am,  and  that  conscience  does  not 
allow  me  to  come  between  husband  and  wife." 

I  had  not  been  able,  as  I  proceeded,  to  prevent 
a  tinge  of  bitterness  from  creeping  into  my  voice, 
but  when  I  saw  how  deeply  it  wounded  and  moved 
him  I  hastily  sought  to  make  amends  for  it. 

"  Oh  I"  I  cried,  "  I  did  not  mean  to  say  that.  I 
am  sorry.  It  was  ungenerous  in  me.  But  the 
wound  still  bleeds,  you  see.  I  will  be  frank  and 
sincere  with  you  as  you  have  been  with  me.  I 

love  you "  He  started  and  would  have  come 

nearer  to  me,  but  my  words  held  no  invitation  in 
them,  and  I  raised  a  hand  of  warning  that  held 
him  where  he  stood.  "  You  know  it  from  a  hun- 
dred signs  that  I  have  been  unable  to  conceal. 
Then  why  should  I  hesitate  to  confess  it  openly  ? 
But  your  resolution  stands  as  stoutly  between 
us  as  does  the  consideration  which  made  you 
form  it.  You  love  your  son  as  well  as  you  ever 
did ;  I  love  him,  too.  Could  a  marriage  founded 
upon  his  neglected  claims  have  much  warrant  for 
happiness,  do  you  think  ?  I  am  sure  not.  There- 
fore until  Allan  shall  see  fit  to  marry  your  duty 
to  your  wife,  his  mother,  keeps  us  apart.  When 
that  time  comes  which  you  long  ago  determined 
should  release  you  from  your  obligations  to  a 
woman  who  does  not  prize  your  devotion,  you  and 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  191 

I  may  speak  of  whether  or  no  we  shall  join  our 
lives  together.  Our  house,  if  we  build  one,  must 
be  founded  upon  the  rock  of  mutual  respect,  not 
upon  the  sands  of  mere  passionate  regard." 

I  smiled  proudly,  and  at  the  same  time  radiantly, 
upon  him.  And  my  soul  leaped  exultingly  within 
me  as  for  the  first  time  I  discovered  a  new  quality 
in  the  look  he  turned  upon  me.  It  was  that 
precious  quality  of  reverence,  lacking  which  no 
man's  love  ever  quite  satisfies  the  heart  of  a  true 
woman,  which  came  slowly  creeping  into  the  gaze 
I  encountered,  to  remain  and  increase,  Heaven  be 
thanked,  thenceforward  and  until  this  day. 

He  made  no  attempt  to  combat  my  resolution. 
His  nobler  nature  acquiesced  in  the  propriety  of 
my  decision.  He  raised  my  hand  and  pressed  it 
an  instant  to  his  lips.  The  action  was  more  sug- 
gestive of  the  sealing  of  a  verdict  and  the  homage 
of  a  follower  than  of  the  passion  of  a  lover. 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  say,"  he  said,  in  that  quiet 
way  which  I  always  associated  with  him.  "  I  am 
hereafter  your  servant  to  command." 

As  he  dropped  my  hand  I  heard  the  door  open, 
and,  turning,  perceived  Allan  entering  the  room.  I 
had  quite  forgotten  that  the  boy  was  to  dine  with 
me,  and  his  appearance  warned  me  of  the  lateness 
of  the  hour.  It  likewise  admonished  me  that  the 
marked  traces  of  recent  emotion  plainly  visible  in 
my  countenance  and  manner,  taken  in  connection 


192  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

with  his  father's  presence,  might  create  strange 
suspicions  in  the  lad's  breast.  And  that  my  sur- 
mise was  not  wholly  wrong  the  first  words  he 
uttered  proved.  His  own  face  suggested  that  he 
had  lately  been  harassed  and  disturbed.  It  had 
lost  its  youthful  look  of  brilliant  insouciance,  and 
seemed  to  have  gained  of  a  sudden  an  expression 
of  experience  and  age. 

As  he  came  forward  and  recognized  my  com- 
panion, noting  also  our  mutual  constraint  and  the 
obvious  indications  of  the  crisis  we  had  just  passed 
through,  his  face  darkened  and  flushed,  and  a  scowl 
knit  his  black  brows  so  forbiddingly  that  I  never 
should  have  recognized  his  countenance. 

"So  you  have  come  to  insult  her,"  he  burst 
forth  at  once,  accosting  his  father  even  before 
saluting  me.  "  My  mother  said  you  would  do  it, 
but  I  did  not  believe  her." 

Richard  looked  at  him  a  moment  in  troubled 
silence.  It  was  the  first  time  in  his  life  that  the 
lad  had  failed  in  respect  and  love  to  him,  and  I 
knew  that  the  unprecedented  experience  shocked 
and  hurt  him. 

"You  did  me  no  more  than  simple  justice," 
presently  he  said,  somewhat  coldly,  for,  however 
much  a  man  may  love  his  son,  he  has  no  inclina- 
tion to  be  taken  to  task  by  him.  "  It  is  not  my 
custom  to  insult  women,  whoever  may  assure  you 
to  the  contrary." 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  193 

They  stood  glaring  angrily  at  each  other,  the  son 
still  suspicious  of  the  father,  and  the  latter  resent- 
ing the  former's  charges. 

"  But  you  are  here  to  meddle  in  my  concerns," 
Allan  went  rapidly  on.  "  You  have  come  to  in- 
fluence madame  in  some  way  against  me,  and  I 
telf  you  I  will  not  have  it.  You  and  my  mother 
think  me  still  a  child  to  whom  you  may  dictate, 
feeling  sure  that  I  will  obey  blindly.  But  I  tell 
you  I  am  a  man,  old  enough  to  choose  my  own 
friends  and  direct  my  own  affairs.  If  I  were  en- 
gaged in  any  dishonorable  transaction  I  grant  that 
you  would  have  every  right  to  interfere.  But  this 
is  not  the  case.  I  have  never  met  a  woman  in  my 
mother's  house  for  whom  I  have  felt  a  greater  re- 
spect than  I  do  for  madame.  I  have  met  many  for 
whom  I  felt  far  less.  It  is  to  my  honor  that  she 
allows  me  her  friendship,  and  so  long  as  she  sees 
fit  to  grant  it  to  me,  no  one  in  this  world  shall 
deprive  me  of  it." 

There  was  something  so  noble  and  ingenuous  in 
the  lad,  he  was  so  in  earnest  and  so  sincere  in  his 
own  convictions,  that  his  father's  anger  melted  into 
pride  and  admiration.  Doubtless,  also,  it  was  no 
mean  pleasure  to  him  to  hear  the  woman  he  loved 
so  lauded  and  appraised.  He  went  forward  and 
laid  his  hand  affectionately  on  Allan's  shoulder. 

"  My  boy,"  he  said,  kindly,  "  you  are  wronging 
me  terribly.  I  have  no  wish  but  to  encourage 

13 


194  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

your  friendship  with  madame,  for  whom  I  have  an 
esteem  that  rivals  your  own.  You  have  been 
wantonly  misinformed  as  to  the  object  of  my  visit 
here  to-day.  I  have  come  to  atone  for,  not  to 
offer,  an  affront." 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  genuineness  of  his 
explanation,  and  the  clouds  on  the  boy's  brow  dis- 
persed as  he  listened.  But  a  look  of  trouble  yet 
shadowed  his  clear  brown  eyes,  and  when  his  father 
finished  speaking  he  said  in  a  low,  shamed  voice, — 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  forgive  me.  I  was  made  to 
believe  it."  After  an  instant's  pause  he  added,  in 
a  still  deeper  tone,  "  It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to 
ask  for  whose  insult  you  came  here  to  apologize,  I 
suppose  ?" 

Richard's  hand  fell  away  from  his  son's  shoulder, 
and  his  eyes  avoided  the  troubled  gaze  of  the  lad. 

"No,"  he  replied,  with  grave  brevity.  "I  do 
not  think  it  is." 

He  took  his  leave  immediately  after  this,  Allan 
accompanying  him  to  the  outer  door,  where  I  dare 
say  a  more  ample  amends  for  his  filial  disrespect 
was  made.  And  I  hastened  to  my  dressing-room 
to  change  my  gown  and  prepare  for  the  theatre. 
My  mind  was  fully  occupied  during  my  simple 
toilet  operations,  and  in  the  midst  of  other  re- 
flections there  occurred  to  me  a  recollection  of  my 
intention  concerning  Lisa,  which  now,  in  the  light 
of  recent  occurrences,  I  had  no  mind  to  fulfil.  It 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  195 

was  far  better,  I  thought,  to  allow  her  to  remain 
where  she  was  until  the  end  of  my  season  and 
consequent  retirement. 

I  concluded,  therefore,  to  destroy  the  letter, 
which  I  had  left  lying  open  on  my  secretary,  but 
I  was  scarcely  ready  for  dinner  when  it  was  an- 
nounced, and  in  my  haste  afterwards  to  reach  the 
theatre  in  season  it  quite  slipped  my  mind.  Nor 
did  I  remember  it  again  until  the  next  evening. 

Allan  was  unusually  quiet  and  thoughtful  during 
dinner  and  on  the  way  to  the  theatre.  Of  late  I 
had  allowed  him  to  escort  Jean  and  me  thither,  and 
he  had  fallen  into  the  habit  of  coming  to  my  dress- 
ing-room between  the  acts  when  I  had  no  change 
of  costume  to  make.  I  could  see  that  he  was  much 
occupied  and  distressed  by  the  new  phase  he  had 
discovered  in  his  mother's  character,  and  I  inferred 
from  what  he  had  said  to  his  father,  and  from  his 
moodiness  and  general  depression,  that  a  hot  and 
violent  scene  had  taken  place  in  the  Quintard 
household  prior  to  his  coming  to  me.  A  thought 
perplexed  and  worried  me  during  the  intervals 
between  my  acting  that  night.  How  would  it  be 
when  the  time  of  final  rupture  between  husband 
and  wife  took  place  ?  Should  I,  in  that  position 
from  which  his  mother  had  been  outcast,  be  able 
to  hold  and  preserve  the  affection  and  loyalty  of 
this  lad  of  whom  I  had  grown  so  fond  ?  For  his 
father's  sake,  I  prayed  so,  and  for  my  own. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

RARELY  in  my  life  have  I  felt  so  light-hearted 
and  joyous  as  I  did  on  waking  the  next  morning. 
A  terrible  weight  of  oppression  had  fallen  from  my 
spirits,  leaving  me  a  different  creature  from  the 
sadly  preoccupied  and  wretched  woman  who  had 
of  late  been  dragging  wearily  through  a  round  of 
dreary  duties  and  pleasureless  dissipations.  I  called 
little  Jean  into  my  chamber  and  bade  her  sit  on  the 
foot  of  the  bed  while  I  related  the  history  of  the 
events  of  the  previous  day,  for  I  felt  the  need  of 
unbosoming  myself  to  some  one,  and  a  more  sym- 
pathetic confidante  than  the  enthusiastic  and  warm- 
hearted Scotch  lassie  could  not  be  desired. 

She  followed  my  recital  with  as  much  interest 
as  if  my  experiences  directly  concerned  herself, 
and  her  homely  little  face  was  a  very  panorama  of 
varied  emotions.  Her  amazement  when  I  informed 
her  of  the  fact  of  Picot's  relationship  to  me  was 
quite  as  great  as  that  of  Richard  Quintard.  She 
had  seen  my  father  on  various  occasions,  and  had 
formed  a  prejudice  against  him  which  dated  from 
our  brief  residence  in  the  Quintard  household.  She 
had  frequently  expressed  her  dislike  of  him,  and 
196 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  197 

had  besought  me  often,  as  Coello  had  done,  not  to 
associate  myself  in  any  way  with  him.  She  had 
known  that  he  was  the  recipient  of  my  charity  and 
had  deprecated  the  fact,  though  until  now  she  had 
been  ignorant  of  my  reasons  for  relieving  him. 

Now  she  shook  her  wise  head  gravely  and 
wished,  not  that  the  man  were  dead, — oh,  no,  she 
was  far  too  devout  a  Presbyterian  to  harbor  such 
wicked  desire, — but  that  an  all-wise  Providence 
might  see  fit  mercifully  to  remove  him  from  our 
midst. 

"  I  have  a  feeling  that  he  will  do  you  an  injury," 
she  said.  "  I  wish  he  would  go  back  to  Paris." 
Her  expression  was  so  anxious  and  foreboding 
that  I  could  not  help  laughing  (I  was  easily  pro- 
voked to  mirth  that  morning),  although  at  the 
same  time  I  was  forcibly  reminded  of  the  words  of 
that  other  well-wisher  of  mine  concerning  the  same 
person.  "  Have  nothing  to  do  with  him,  Pepita," 
poor  Coello  had  been  wont  to  urge ;  "  I  do  not 
trust  him.  He  has  the  evil  eye  for  you." 

But  no  bird  of  ill-omen  could  affect  me  that  day. 
My  whole  soul  was  bright  and  buoyant  with  hope 
and  exultation,  and  no  cloud  of  any  sort  could 
darken  in  any  degree  the  fair  prospect  the  future 
offered  me.  At  noon  came  to  me  a  huge  box  of 
splendid  Bride  roses,  and  in  their  midst  rested  an 
envelope  containing  a  card.  These  words  were 
on  it: 


198  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

"  I  cannot  assure  myself  that  you  have  quite 
forgiven  me,  and  that  I  hold  your  promise  for  the 
future.  I  am  going  to-night  to  see  you.  I  wish 
to  obliterate  any  impression  that  falsely  asperses 
you,  and  I  shall  go  this  evening  remembering  that 
I  am  to  look  upon  you  as  the  artist,  not  as  the 
woman.  If  you  are  still  disposed  to  regard  me 
with  unmerited  forbearance,  will  you  wear  some- 
where about  you  a  rose  or  two  of  my  choosing  ? 
"  Ever  faithfully  yours, 

"  RICHARD  ETON  QUINTARD." 

I  flushed  like  a  nervous  school-girl  upon  reading 
this  message.  Had  the  warning  come  earlier  I 
would  have  changed  the  bill  for  that  night,  and 
appeared  before  him  in  a  role  that  should  in  no 
manner  challenge  his  criticism.  And  yet,  on  sec- 
ond thoughts,  I  was  glad  that  an  opportunity  to  do 
this  was  forbidden  by  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  for 
my  pride  bade  me  remain  firm  in  the  consciousness 
of  my  own  purity  of  intention,  and  to  have  pur- 
posely assumed  different  apparel  would  have 
looked  like  a  tacit  admission  of  culpability.  Yet 
the  high  value  I  placed  on  his  good  opinion,  and 
my  craving  to  fulfil  in  every  particular  the  measure 
of  his  ideal,  made  me  somewhat  impatient  with 
Fate  that  we  had  not  cast  a  different  programme 
for  that  night.  "The  Queen  of  Hearts"  had 
been  a  great  popular  hit,  and  it  had  been  con- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  199 

sidered  unwise  to  withdraw  it  during  its  profitable 
run. 

My  high  spirits  lasted  well  into  the  afternoon, 
and  gave  me  back  that  feeling  of  youthful  elasticity 
which  of  late  I  had  sorely  missed.  Jean  and  I  had 
a  delightful  drive  in  the  park,  and  the  fresh  air 
poured  new  vigor  into  my  veins. 

As  usual  of  late,  Allan  made  a  third  at  dinner, 
and  I  noticed  about  him  the  same  unwonted  de- 
pression that  had  characterized  him  upon  the  pre- 
vious evening.  After  the  meal  was  over,  and  while 
Jean  was  getting  our  wraps  together,  I  remained 
with  him  as  he  smoked  his  cigarette,  and  coaxed 
from  him  some  details  of  the  stormy  interview  that 
had  taken  place  between  himself  and  his  mother  the 
day  before.  I  managed  the  conversation  skilfully, 
so  that  I  think  he  is  not  even  now  aware  how 
much  he  disclosed  regarding  his  mother's  antip- 
athy towards  me. 

It  became  evident  to  me  from  his  bitterly  ex- 
pressed remarks  that  he  and  his  father  had  long 
suffered  for  their  friendship  with  me.  I  had  no 
doubt  from  what  he  let  fall  that  Mrs.  Quintard 
had  done  all  in  her  power,  without  scruple  or  hesi- 
tation, to  poison  the  minds  of  both  men  against 
me.  That  of  the  elder,  being  more  worldly-wise 
and  so  less  invulnerable,  had  been  somewhat  af- 
fected by  her  malicious  calumnies,  but  the  honest, 
frank,  unsuspicious  nature  of  the  lad  had  refused 


2oo  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

to  harbor  an  evil  thought  regarding  the  woman 
whom  in  his  boyish  fancy  he  believed  he  loved. 
I  have  never  felt  more  honored  in  my  life  than 
when  I  perceived,  through  his  inadvertent  admis- 
sions, in  what  high  and  impervious  esteem  his 
young  soul  held  me.  Thank  God  I  merited  it, 
else  I  think  I  should  have  died  from  very  shame. 

I  could  see  from  his  allusions  to  her,  even  in  the 
very  way  in  which  he  spoke  her  name,  that  the 
mother  had  done  herself  grievous  harm  in  her 
son's  eyes.  She  had  gone  the  wrong  way  to  work 
to  accomplish  her  aims,  and  her  slander  of  me  had 
been  a  sort  of  verbal  boomerang  which  had  re- 
turned to  injure  the  hand  that  had  projected  it 
I  did  not  blame  her  that,  attributing  to  me  the  low 
and  mercenary  principles  which  are  supposed  to 
animate  my  sisterhood,  she  had  felt  strongly  de- 
sirous of  withdrawing  Allan  from  my  influence. 
But  I  did  hold  her  in  the  utmost  contempt,  as  ob- 
viously did  her  son  likewise,  that  she  should  have 
employed  such  methods  of  attaining  her  ends. 

I  think  it  was  a  relief  to  the  lad  to  make  this 
unconscious  confession  to  me.  He  was  much 
brighter  afterwards,  and  he  and  Jean  carried  on  an 
exchange  of  jest  and  nonsense  as  we  rolled  along 
towards  the  theatre.  As  for  me,  I  seemed  to  have 
acquired  the  melancholy  that  he  had  shed.  Even 
as  Jean  was  wrapping  me  in  my  outer  garments 
with  that  solicitous  care  with  which  she  always 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  201 

serves  me,  I  felt  a  sudden  gloom  and  apprehension 
steal  over  me.  She,  watchful  of  my  every  mood, 
detected  the  change,  and  turned  quickly  to  Allan. 

"  Go  into  the  dining-room,  there's  a  good  lad," 
she  said,  "  and  tell  Stone  to  open  a  pint  of  cham- 
pagne. Quick,  there's  no  time  to  lose ;  we're  get- 
ting late.  Now,  what  is  it,  dear?"  she  inquired, 
looking  anxiously  at  me  as  Allan  disappeared, 
wondering  but  obedient. 

"Nothing, — oh,  I  don't  know.  What  is  it, 
Jeanie  ?" 

An  hysterical  fit  of  fright  had  laid  hold  of  me. 
It  was  quite  unreasonable  and  inexplicable,  but  its 
influence  was  none  the  less  potent.  I  placed  two 
trembling  hands  on  Jean's  shoulders  and  gazed 
appealingly  at  her.  Small  thing  that  she  was  com- 
pared to  me,  she  seemed  so  strong,  so  stolid,  so 
rational,  that  I  clung  to  her,  with  confidence  in  her 
power  to  dispel  this  vague  shadow  that  threatened 
me.  She  was  accustomed  to  my  variableness,  and 
had  often  coped  with  my  groundless  impressions, 
so  now  she  laughed  outright,  with  so  hearty  and 
scornful  a  laugh  that  its  very  commonplaceness 
reassured  me  for  a  moment. 

"  Oh,  bosh !"  she  said,  giving  me  a  little  shake 
of  expostulation.  "  Reaction,  that's  all.  Oh,  what 
unnecessary  horrors  you  do  conjure  up !  I  wonder 
what  shape  this  one  has  taken  !" 

"  I   don't   know.     But,  Jeanie,  it  is  something 


2O2  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

dreadful.  I  know  that  something  terrible  is  going 
to  happen  to  me, — I  know  it." 

"  Nonsense !"  she  exclaimed.  "  Where  is  that 
boy  ?  Are  they  making  that  wine,  I  wonder !" 

"  Why  nonsense  ?"  I  asked,  looking  at  her  with 
timid  eyes.  "  You,  yourself,  only  this  morning  pre- 
dicted some  danger  to  me  from  my  father.  Perhaps 
you  and  Isidore  are  right,  after  all,  and  he  has  the 
evil  eye  for  me.  Who  knows  but  to-night " 

"Oh,  what  folly,  what  sensational  folly!"  she 
cried.  "  I  was  an  idiot  to  have  said  such  a  thing 
even  in  joke.  I  might  have  known  you  would 

dwell  upon  it.  Here "  And  she  turned 

quickly  upon  Allan,  who  appeared  at  that  moment 
with  the  wine,  almost  snatching  the  glass  from  the 
tray  he  carried,  and  forcing  it  into  my  reluctant 
fingers.  She  was  unusually  exuberant  in  her  scof- 
fing, and  she  has  since  confessed  to  me  that  her 
scorn  of  my  sudden  weakness  was  wholly  and  with 
some  difficulty  assumed,  as  she,  herself,  was  labor- 
ing under  a  strong  presentiment  of  coming  evil. 
She  was  ever,  like  many  of  her  nation,  full  of  super- 
stition and  omens,  which  on  ordinary  occasions  she 
made  no  attempt  to  conceal,  but  should  I  chance  to 
show  a  disposition  towards  similar  infirmity  it  was 
her  custom  to  rally  me  without  mercy. 

The  champagne  somewhat  dispersed  the  low 
mood  into  which  I  had  fallen,  and  the  sight  of  the 
Bride  roses,  when  I  unpacked  them  from  their  box 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  203 

on  reaching  my  dressing-room,  cheered  me  for  a 
while  with  their  tender  suggestiveness.  But  while 
my  maid  was  dressing  me  in  my  page's  suit  of  gray 
and  silver,  the  black  dog  again  perched  upon  my 
shoulder,  and  I  found  it  impossible,  as  did  Jean 
also,  in  spite  of  every  effort,  to  dislodge  the  dreary 
monster  from  his  perch. 

It  was  years  since  I  had  studied  my  appearance 
as  I  did  that  night.  My  poor  maid  was  at  her 
wit's  ends  to  satisfy  my  exactions.  In  vain  she  and 
Jean  insisted  that  I  had  never  looked  better ;  that 
my  costume,  clinging  snugly  to  my  figure,  set  off 
its  outlines  to  the  greatest  possible  advantage ;  that 
its  delicate  tints  harmonized  perfectly  with  my  col- 
oring ;  that  no  manner  of  garb  could  more  exquis- 
itely become  a  shape  that  they  were  pleased  to 
pronounce  unusually  comely.  Alas !  their  assever- 
ations sounded  but  dully  and  unconvincingly  in 
my  ears,  attuned  as  they  were  to  other  criticisms 
of  a  more  fastidious  taste.  I  gazed  at  myself,  not 
through  the  medium  of  professional  eyes  focussed 
at  a  catch-penny  level,  but  with  the  discriminating 
perception  of  a  private  individual,  who  holds  femi- 
nine delicacy  a  pearl  of  great  price.  And  beneath 
this  sensitive  glance  my  vanity  shrivelled  into  dis- 
comfiture. 

Almost  every  one  knows  how  distorting  a  pro- 
longed inspection  of  one's  own  reflection  is.  As  I 
stood  before  the  long  cheval-glass,  awaiting  my 


204  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

cue  with  nervous  dread,  and  staring  myself  out  of 
countenance  with  that  harrowing  judicial  scrutiny, 
my  own  face  and  form  grew  absolutely  hateful  to 
me.  All  those  points  which  had  seemed  formerly 
most  worthy  of  admiration  appeared  now  to  be 
pointing  the  finger  of  reproach  at  me.  My  hands 
burned  to  tear  off  the  dainty  embroidered  coat  and 
waistcoat,  to  drape  the  breeches  and  hose,  to  cast 
aside  the  saucy  cocked  hat,  to  transform  myself 
again  into  a  woman  instead  of  a  mere  vulgar  mime, 
and  I  had  much  difficulty  to  constrain  myself  to 
obey  the  warning  cry  of  the  call-boy,  being 
strongly  urged  to  send  for  my  manager  and  cry 
off  from  appearing. 

Nothing  of  my  nervousness  was  visible,  how- 
ever, as  I  stood  in  the  wings  waiting  to  go  on.  So 
long  a  stage-training  as  mine  does  not  go  for 
naught,  and  the  sound  of  the  orchestra  and  sight 
of  the  stage  were  to  me  as  the  scent  of  battle  to 
the  war-horse.  My  professional  business  had  al- 
ways retained  its  fascination  for  me.  I  loved  my 
calling,  if  at  times  I  grew  impatient  with  it,  as 
dearly  as  ever.  The  excitement  of  the  moment, 
the  applause  of  an  audience,  the  sight  of  a  crowded 
house,  were  all  as  exhilarating  to  me  as  they  had 
ever  been.  I  had  an  enthusiasm  for  my  art,  paltry 
and  mean  as  some  might  consider  that  art  to  bef 
and  that  enthusiasm  rarely  failed  me  when  before 
the  public. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  205 

It  came  to  my  aid  now  as  I  looked  across  the 
stage  and  saw  how  large  a  house  had  gathered  in 
my  honor.  I  was  accustomed  to  play  to  the  ca- 
pacity of  the  theatre,  but  it  seemed  to  me  that  to- 
night the  house  was  absolutely  packed.  I  was 
glad  of  this,  for  it  rendered  me  less  likely  to  dis- 
tinguish any  one  individual.  The  greater  the 
multitude  the  more  difficult  it  is  to  single  out  any 
special  countenance. 

When  my  cue  came  I  was  ready  for  it.  Ner- 
vousness, apprehension,  that  new  sense  of  shame 
and  embarrassment,  had  all  vanished.  I  was  no 
longer  the  timid  mistress  shrinking  at  thought  of 
her  lover's  eye,  but  the  inspired  artist,  whose  own 
personality  had  become  merged  in  that  of  her 
assumption.  They  who  separate  the  artist  from 
the  woman  in  their  critical  judgments  do  well. 
There  is  nothing  of  the  private  individual  in  the 
actress  who  presents  a  rdle  conscientiously.  The 
demands  of  her  impersonation  should  be  her  one 
consideration,  else  is  she  a  dishonest  and  insincere 
disciple,  a  Judas  to  her  art. 

The  outburst  that  greeted  my  appearance  was 
the  incense  I  loved.  My  first  note  quelled  it  as 
the  tone  of  the  master  quiets  the  demonstrative 
welcome  of  his  hound.  I  looked  out  over  that 
sea  of  faces,  perceiving  no  one,  but  gathering  in- 
spiration from  all.  I  knew  that  somewhere  in  that 
vast  audience  there  sat  a  man  for  whose  single 


206  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

opinion  I  would  sacrifice  all  the  renown  my  past 
successes  had  gained  me,  yet  he  scarcely  entered 
into  my  consideration  once  I  had  become  that  gay 
and  wanton  Queen  of  Hearts.  But  the  fact  that 
he  was  there  was  undoubtedly  present  to  my  con- 
sciousness, little  as  I  heeded  it,  for  some  reason 
impelled  me  to  make  great  and  unusual  effort,  and 
I  did  not  need  the  stormy  applause  of  the  audience 
or  the  encomiums  of  those  about  me  when  the 
curtain  fell  upon  the  first  act  to  assure  me  that  that 
night  I  had  surpassed  myself. 

Between  the  first  and  second  acts  I  allowed  no 
one  in  my  dressing-room  besides  Jean  and  my 
maid,  for  my  second  costume,  the  flaring,  brilliant, 
gorgeous  scarlet  gown,  with  its  numerous  acces- 
sories, required  much  time  in  adjustment,  and  I 
occupied  the  stage  at  the  rising  of  the  curtain. 
After  the  second  act  I  had  no  change,  and  I  was  in 
the  habit  of  receiving  such  visitors  as  I  chose  to 
welcome  during  that  entr'acte.  Allan  was  always 
there,  and  certain  men  to  whom  I  accorded  the 
privilege  would  occasionally  bring  thither  friends 
who  desired  to  meet  me.  It  was  not  unusual  for 
the  little  room  to  receive  so  many  visitors  upon 
these  occasions  that  it  quite  took  on  the  aspect  of 
an  audience-chamber  of  diminutive  proportions. 

Jean  was  holding  a  tiny  note  between  her  fingers 
when  I  returned  to  the  room  after  complying 
with  as  many  recalls  as  I  thought  it  necessary 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  207 

to  acknowledge.  I  guessed  from  whom  it  came 
before  I  read  the  signature.  "  Will  you  see  me  a 
minute  ?"  it  ran ;  "  or  do  you  prefer  not  to  do  so  ?" 
I  smiled,  amused  by  the  question.  What  curious 
freak  would  that  be  which  would  make  me  prefer 
on  any  occasion  not  to  see  Richard  Quintard. 

I  hastily  scratched  a  reply  and  sent  it  back  by 
the  usher  who  still  waited. 

"  After  this  act,"  I  wrote.  "  Pray  Heaven  you 
are  thinking  better  of  me." 

My  second  toilet  completed,  I  had  another  inter- 
val of  despondency.  It  was  not  because  I  had 
qualms  as  to  the  fact  of  my  beauty — it  had  never 
been  more  in  evidence — but  as  to  its  nature  I  felt 
serious  misgivings.  The  splendid,  gaudy  robe, 
with  its  low  corsage  and  gleaming  jewels,  so  stri- 
kingly accentuated  the  merely  carnal  character 
of  my  personal  charms  that  I  felt  it  even  more 
unbecoming  a  modest  nature  than  the  other  had 
been,  besides  which  I  could  not  but  reflect  that  the 
ample  draperies,  which  in  the  mirror's  reflection 
fell  full  and  long  about  me,  were  otherwise  dis- 
posed in  the  mazes  of  the  dance,  and  my  heart 
sank  as  I  considered  how  bold  snd  brazen  must  be 
the  full  effect 

I  dare  say  that  I  should  not  be  believed  were 
I  to  state  that,  until  Richard  Quintard  presented 
them  to  my  reflection  these  considerations  had 
never  occurred  to  me.  Yet  such  is  the  fact.  Now 


208  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

that  I  had  discovered  what  importance  others 
attached  to  them,  they  filled  me  with  dread  signifi- 
cance and  remorse.  I  was  neither  wanton  nor  im- 
pure of  heart,  and  I  shrank  from  the  newly-dis- 
closed possibility  that  I  might  so  appear  to  the 
world  at  large. 

Filled  thus  with  troubled  fancies,  I  stood  while 
my  tire-women  completed  their  work,  which,  when 
it  had  to  do  with  this  costume,  was  always  accom- 
panied with  a  running  commentary  of  flattering 
remark,  for  both  claimed  that  it  outrivalled  any 
other  I  had  ever  assumed.  When  they  were  quite 
done  with  me  I  took  a  handful  of  the  fair  Bride 
roses  and  laid  them  on  the  flaming  corsage  just 
above  my  heart,  hoping  that  one  in  that  great 
audience  might  look  at  their  immaculate  beauty 
and  be  led  to  fancy  them  symbolical  of  the  heart 
they  covered.  And  then,  for  the  last  time  in  my 
life,  I  obeyed  the  summons  of  the  call-boy  and 
returned  to  the  stage. 

The  second  act  began  and  progressed  with  the 
same  unusual  degree  of  fire  and  spirit  that  had 
marked  the  first.  The  contagion  of  my  example 
had  spread  among  the  company  and  each  member 
seemed  inspired  to  excel  himself.  Every  point 
scored  a  success,  and  encores  were  a  matter  of 
course  for  all. 

In  the  middle  of  the  act  I  noticed  a  slight  stir 
in  the  left  of  the  orchestra.  The  house  had 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  209 

been  so  rapt  and  attentive  that  what  otherwise 
might  have  passed  unobserved  now  became  con- 
spicuous. The  auditorium  was  so  dark  that  I 
could  not  discover  what  had  occurred,  but  through 
the  dusk  I  caught  sight  of  three  or  four  figures 
passing  swiftly  up  the  aisle. 

The  disturbance  was  too  trifling  to  discompose 
or  perplex  me,  and  I  soon  dismissed  all  recollec- 
tion of  it,  supposing  that  some  woman  had  found 
the  crowded  place  too  close  and  had  perhaps 
fainted ;  or  possibly  that  some  one  had  lapsed  in 
sobriety  and  had  been  made  a  victim  of  by  an 
usher.  It  was  Richard  Quintard  who  later  told 
me  what  had  actually  happened.  And  this  was 
his  story. 

He  said  that  on  taking  his  seat  in  the  orchestra 
he  had  noticed  sitting  directly  in  front  of  him  a 
woman  and  two  unusually  beautiful  girls.  He  was 
especially  interested  in  the  group  by  reason  of  the 
strange  incongruity  that  existed  between  the  older 
woman  and  her  companions.  The  latter  were 
charming  young  creatures,  with  an  air  of  unsophis- 
ticated innocence  about  them  which  caused  him  to 
marvel  at  seeing  them  associated  with  so  vulgar  and 
coarse  a  creature  as  the  loud  and  flashy  person  who 
accompanied  them;  besides  this,  it  was  apparent 
that  the  relations  between  the  three  were  not  close 
or  intimate,  for  a  formality  and  constraint  marked 
their  mutual  attitudes  and  their  conversation.  He 

14 


2io  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

watched  them  closely  until  the  curtain  rose,  specu- 
lating upon  their  places  in  society  and  being  enter- 
tained by  their  obviously  intense  absorption  in 
their  surroundings. 

This  they  were  evidently  too  ingenuous  to  try 
to  disguise,  and  their  glowing  faces  and  sparkling 
eyes,  as  well  as  the  snatches  of  excited  and  won- 
dering commentary  he  caught,  convinced  him  that 
if  either  had  ever  before  seen  the  inside  of  a  the- 
atre, her  experience  had  been  limited  to  very  few 
occasions.  In  spite  of  the  uncongeniality  of  dis- 
position and  habit  that  plainly  separated  the  girls 
from  her,  the  woman  was  the  only  present  source 
from  which  they  could  draw  information  concern- 
ing the  novel  and  alluring  surroundings  in  which 
she  had  placed  them,  and  their  curiosity  doubtless 
conquered  any  natural  shrinking  they  might  have 
felt  from  her  society,  and  made  them  willing  and 
eager  to  enlighten  their  ignorance  at  her  hands. 

When  the  curtain  rose  their  enchantment  was 
redoubled.  Others  besides  himself  watched  them 
in  amusement,  Richard  said,  and  their  open-eyed 
and  frankly-confessed  amazement  and  delight  drew 
much  attention  from  the  play  to  centre  itself  upon 
the  lovely,  artless  faces.  He  watched  them  closely 
and  admiringly  until  the  moment  came  for  my 
appearance,  and  then  a  more  engrossing  interest 
diverted  his  notice  from  them  and  turned  it  wholly 
upon  the  stage. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  21 1 

A  sudden  and  slight  ejaculation  from  one  of  the 
trio  before  him  presently  drew  his  eyes  again  upon 
them.  It  had  come  from  the  lips  of  the  fairer  and 
gentler  of  the  two  girls,  and  was  strangely  com- 
pounded of  pain,  horror,  amazement,  and  incredu- 
lity. She  had  turned  from  her  contemplation  of 
the  stage,  the  centre  of  which  I,  in  my  page's  suit 
of  silver  and  gray,  was  holding  with  a  gay  and 
graceful  song  and  dance,  and  was  gazing  with  wide, 
questioning  eyes  at  the  woman  by  whose  side  she 
sat.  Meeting  no  answering  look  from  the  hard, 
bold  face  that  was  directed  uncompromisingly 
straightforward,  she  dropped  her  glance  upon  the 
programme,  and,  with  bent  head  and  agonized 
scrutiny,  studied  the  lines  which  set  forth  the  cast 
of  characters.  For  a  moment  or  two  she  kept  her 
head  lowered,  probably  searching,  in  desperate  fear 
and  foreboding,  for  a  name  familiar  to  and  beloved 
of  herself,  and  when  she  again  lifted  it  the  eaves- 
dropper behind  heard  her  heave  a  little  sigh  of 
relief,  though  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  discover 
whether  that  anguished  look  she  had  cast  upon  her 
heedless  companion  had  died  out  of  the  sweet 
blue  eyes,  or  if  it  still  scorched  the  heavily  fringed 
lids. 

As  the  play  went  on  she  sat  quite  still,  gazing 
straight  before  her,  occasionally  starting  almost 
convulsively  when  it  fell  to  me  to  speak  an  infre- 
quent line.  Now  and  then,  after  these  thrills  of 


212  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

apprehension,  she  would  turn  again  that  searching, 
interrogative  look  upon  the  woman,  gaining  noth- 
ing, however,  from  her  inattentive  preoccupation. 
All  pleasure  had  vanished  from  her  countenance  ; 
it  suggested,  in  the  profile  glimpses  he  caught 
of  it,  pain,  mortification,  uneasiness,  and  shocked 
modesty. 

Without  suspecting  why  she  was  thus  affected, 
Richard  Quintard  understood  and  sympathized 
with  the  shock  her  unworldliness  had  evidently 
sustained,  and  his  interest  in  so  unusual  a  specimen 
of  modern  maidenhood  became  doubled.  At  the 
end  of  the  act  he  deliberately  leaned  forward  to 
catch  such  words  as  she  might  utter,  feeling 
strongly  desirous  of  learning  more  about  her  and 
the  cause  of  her  singular  little  outcry.  The  woman 
first  addressed  her,  turning  to  contemplate  her  with 
a  look  on  her  brazen  face  that  made  the  man  who 
watched  her  long  to  respond  to  her  in  the  girl's 
stead.  It  was  malignant  and  vicious,  and  Richard 
told  me  that  he  could  feel  his  fist  clinching  as  he 
saw  it. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  in  a  voice  full  of  provocation, 
"howd'youlikeit?" 

There  was  an  instant's  pause;  then  the  poor 
little  victim  said, — 

"  Who  is  that — person  in  man's  clothes  ?" 

"  How  should  I  know  ?"  the  other  answered. 
"  Look  at  your  programme.  Let's  see, — oh,  Ma- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  213 

dame  Cleo,  of  course,  the  great  dancer.  Do  you 
know  her  ?" 

The  girl  shook  her  head. 

"  No,"  she  returned,  in  a  low  tone  which  Rich- 
ard could  scarcely  catch.  The  woman  smiled 
with  sinister  enjoyment,  which  still  further  angered 
the  listener,  it  gave  such  evidence  of  malicious 
intent. 

"  Fine,  isn't  she  ?  Wonderful  shape  and  a  great 
actress,  don't  you  think  so  ?" 

Richard  could  not  see  the  girl's  face,  he  said, 
though  he  almost  made  himself  conspicuous  in  his 
endeavor  to  do  so,  but  he  heard  her  reply : 

"  No ;  I  thought  her  dreadful,  horrible.  I  had 
not  believed  that  any  woman  could  so  lower  her- 
self." 

Here  the  other  girl  broke  in.  She  apparently 
was  likewise  shocked  by  the  freedom  and  license 
of  the  latter-day  stage,  but  there  had  been  no  per- 
sonal fear  and  foreboding  to  give  emphasis  to  her 
denunciation.  Her  criticism  was  wholly  general 
and  abstract. 

"  It  is  awful,"  she  agreed.  "  It  is  strange  that 
so  refined-looking  a  woman  could  bring  herself  to 
wear  such  a  costume.  But,  Lisa,  it  is  fascinating, 
don't  you  think  so  ?  And,  after  all,  her  dancing  is 
wonderful,  and,  from  an  artistic  point,  very  beauti- 
ful. She  reminds  me  of  some  one,  I  can't  think 
who." 


214  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

She  knit  her  pretty  brows,  and  her  friend  came 
to  her  assistance  in  a  tone  that  was  almost  a 
whisper. 

"  She  is  like  my  mother,"  she  said ;  "  you  saw 
her  once,  don't  you  remember  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  believe  it  is  she.  If  one  could 
imagine  your  mother,  your  lovely,  dignified 
mother,  in  such  a  position." 

She  laughed,  but  the  other  remained  grave  and 
thoughtful,  and  then  Richard  forgot  them  in  re- 
membering me.  He  spent  the  rest  of  the  entr'acte 
in  the  foyer,  despatching  his  message  to  my  dress- 
ing-room, and  awaiting  an  answer. 

He  returned  to  his  place  just  as  the  curtain  was 
rising  upon  the  next  act,  and  perceived  that  a 
seat  which  had  hitherto  been  unoccupied  beside 
the  two  girls  was  now  filled.  Imagine  his  surprise 
upon  discovering  that  the' new-comer,  who  was 
plainly  a  member  of  the  party  he  had  been  watch- 
ing with  so  much  interest,  was  no  less  a  person 
than  his  former  servant  and  my  father,  the  man 
who  styled  himself  Leon  Picot. 

He  had  scant  time  for  reflection  upon  this 
strange  coincidence,  for,  scarcely  had  the  curtain 
risen  upon  me  posed  effectively  in  my  crimson 
robes  beneath  a  strong  lime-light,  which  threw  me 
into  strong  relief  against  a  dark  background,  than 
his  attention  was  again  drawn  from  the  stage  to 
rest  upon  the  girl  before  him.  Now  there  was  no 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  215 

further  attempt  made  to  conceal  her  agitation.  The 
instant  her  eyes  fell  upon  me  she  turned  upon  the 
woman  beside  her,  whose  bold  eyes  made  no  fur- 
ther pretence  of  evading  her  challenge,  and  a 
pained  cry  burst  from  her  trembling  lips,  which 
must  have  been  noted  by  the  rest  of  her  near 
neighbors  but  for  the  noisy  applause  which  was 
being  bestowed  upon  me. 

"  It  is  my  mother !"  she  cried.     "  It  is,  it  is !" 

Nita  Conquest  smiled  relentlessly  back  at  her 
and  nodded. 

"Well,  and  what  then?"  she  asked,  cruelly. 
"  Are  you  not  proud  of  her  ?  See  how  they  admire 
her !  Hear  what  applause  she  gains !  Is  she  not 
beautiful,  captivating,  entrancing  ?" 

Poor  little  Lisa  shuddered.  Richard  declared 
he  could  have  strangled  her  tormentor  with  his 
own  fingers  for  the  misery  she  had  brought  upon 
so  tender  a  creature.  Nita  Conquest  leaned  across 
her  and  across  her  own  daughter  until  she  could 
gain  my  miserable  father's  ear. 

"Our  kindly  intentions  have  miscarried,"  she 
said,  still  with  that  vicious  leer.  "  Miss  Mavis  does 
not  enjoy  her  mother's  acting  as  we  had  expected 
she  would." 

Then  the  silence  which  fell  upon  the  house  as 
my  singing  began  permitted  no  further  opportunity 
for  baiting  their  innocent  prey,  and  stillness  fell 
upon  the  group,  until,  of  a  sudden,  just  as  I  was 


2i 6  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

finishing  my  most  celebrated  dance,  a  hasty  and 
ungovernable  impulse  appeared  to  seize  hold  of 
my  poor  little  child.  Richard  saw  her  start  from 
her  seat  as  if  she  had  formed  a  quick  resolve. 

"  Let  me  pass,"  he  heard  her  whisper  impe- 
riously to  the  woman. 

"  Sit  down,  you  little  fool,"  she  whispered  back. 
"  Do  you  want  to  make  a  scene  ?  Where  are  you 
going  ?" 

"  To  find  my  mother.     Let  me  pass ;  I  will  go." 

Nita  Conquest  paused  a  moment  before  com- 
plying. Then  she  nodded  significantly  and  imper- 
atively to  Picot. 

"  Come,"  she  said,  "  we  will  all  go.  Perhaps  it 
will  be  as  well,  after  all." 

They  rose  and  passed  out,  and  Richard,  sud- 
denly realizing  what  had  happened,  followed  them 
up  the  aisle.  It  was  then  that  I  perceived  the  stir 
in  the  audience. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

I  THINK  it  somewhat  strange  that  that  night 
should  have  been  one  of  special  ovation  to  me.  Cer- 
tainly no  one  present  in  that  great  audience,  my- 
self least  of  all,  dreamed  that,  without  heraldry  or 
announcement,  I  was  taking  a  final  leave  of  the 
stage.  No  last  appearance  of  a  public  favorite 
was  ever  so  little  advertised  nor  so  unconsciously 
undertaken.  Yet  rarely  had  I  achieved  such  a 
triumph  as  I  did  that  evening.  My  concluding 
song,  upon  which  the  curtain  fell  in  the  second  act, 
gained  me  recall  after  recall,  and  my  enthusiastic 
admirers  would  not  be  content  until  I  had  gone 
before  the  curtain  and  made  them  an  impromptu 
speech  of  thanks.  A  singular  coincidence  I  con- 
sider it  that  in  the  middle  of  a  prolonged  engage- 
ment an  opportunity  should  have  been  thus  unex- 
pectedly afforded  me,  upon  this  occasion  of  all 
others,  to  make  my  acknowledgments  to  that  public 
which  had  so  long  supported  me  for  the  favor  and 
esteem  they  had  always  shown  me. 

Few  women,  however  free  from  vanity,  could 
have  been  indifferent  to  such  a  spontaneous  and 
genuine  tribute  as  that  which  caused  the  theatre 
to  ring  and  vibrate  with  shouts  and  plaudits.  I 

217 


2i 8  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

make  no  pretence  of  having  remained  unmoved 
through  it.  Rather  it  stirred  me  deeply,  perhaps 
because  my  emotions  had  been  much  troubled  of 
late,  and  tears  mingled  with  smiles  as  I  courtesied 
low  before  the  footlights  and  bowed  in  grateful 
recognition  before  that  multitude  whose  warm 
appreciation  of  my  efforts  made  them  seem  to  me 
old  friends. 

When  I  finally  returned  to  my  dressing-room 
laden  with  baskets  and  clusters  of  rare  and  costly 
flowers,  my  heart  beat  high  and  joyously  with 
gratified  pride  in  this  last  proof  I  had  received 
that  my  early  ambitions  had  been  abundantly  ful- 
filled. All  harassing  memories  of  criticisms  that 
might  detract,  or  of  opinions  that  might  injure,  were 
swept  from  my  mind  by  a  feeling  of  infinite  delight 
in  this  fresh  and  fragrant  laurel  wreath  that  had 
been  laid  upon  my  brow.  I  was  no  longer  the 
meek  and  humble  woman  trembling  before  the 
breath  of  calumny,  but  the  proud  and  successful 
artist,  flushed  and  glowing,  enraptured  and  intoxi- 
cated, with  the  ecstasy  of  conquest. 

Scarcely  did  the  thought  of  Richard  Quintard 
obtrude  itself  upon  that  moment.  The  regard  of 
one  man,  even  though  in  calmer  minutes  he  was 
all-sufficient  to  fill  my  universe,  could  scarce  at 
such  a  time  count  for  much  when  compared  to  the 
adulation  and  homage  of  a  concourse.  I  had  risen 
above  earth  and  its  troublous  consequences ;  I  was 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  219 

in  the  empyrean,  floating  far  aloft  above  slander, 
premonitions,  fears,  and  apprehensions  of  every 
sort,  in  the  delicious  ether  of  enchantment. 

Never  was  woman  less  prepared  to  encounter 
disaster  and  misadventure  than  I  in  that  hour. 
Laughter  was  on  my  lips,  exultation  in  my  heart, 
triumph  on  my  brow.  Anticipating  Richard's 
visit,  I  had  given  orders  that  no  one  else  should  be 
admitted  to  my  dressing-room,  and  I  was  therefore 
obliged  to  pause  at  the  wings  a  few  moments  to 
receive  the  congratulations  and  praises  of  those 
who  were  wont  to  pay  their  respects  to  me  at  this 
time,  and  who  now  felt  themselves  ill-treated  by 
their  unwonted  exclusion. 

As  soon  as  possible  I  dismissed  them,  for  now  I 
was  growing  impatient  for  the  approval  of  a  single 
individual.  And  then  I  passed  on,  still  elate  and 
joyous,  and  gained  the  door  of  my  own  apartment. 
It  was  as  usual  ajar,  and  Jeanie  stood,  grasping  its 
handle,  awaiting,  as  she  always  did,  my  return. 
As  she  saw  me  advancing  she  came  forward  to 
meet  me,  and  tried  to  delay  my  progress  by 
making  an  announcement  in  a  low,  significant 
tone. 

"  Madame,  wait  a  moment ;  there  is  some  one  in 
there  whom  you  do  not  expect  to  see." 

I  raised  my  flowers  that  she  might  behold  their 
beauty  and  abundance. 

"  There  are  more  still,"  I  said,  boastingly.   "  Are 


22O  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

they  not  lovely  ?  Oh,  Jeanie,  it  has  been  such  an 
evening !" 

I  was  too  engrossed  with  my  own  self-satisfac- 
tion to  note  that  her  face  failed  to  display  the 
unselfish  gratification  with  which  she  usually  hailed 
my  triumphs.  I  had  not  complied  with  her  at- 
tempts to  detain  me,  and  we  had  reached  the  very 
threshold  before  she  again  said, — 

"  Wait  a  moment,  madame ;  I  have  something 
to  tell  you.  I  wish  to  warn  you  who  it  is  that  is 
waiting  for  you  within." 

I  gave  a  gay,  derisive  little  laugh  and  shook  off 
her  hold.  She  wanted  to  tell  me  who  was  waiting 
within,  did  she?  I  glanced  at  her  anxious  face 
and  made  a  moue  of  amused  disdain.  I  fancied  I 
knew  even  better  than  she  did,  for  had  not  I  given 
the  right  of  entree  to  the  visitor  ? 

"  Thanks,"  I  retorted.  "  I  am  already  well  in- 
formed, "  and,  lifting  my  satin-shod  foot,  with  my 
toe  I  gave  the  unresisting  door  a  push,  my  hands 
being  otherwise  occupied,  and,  flower-laden,  ra- 
diant, sparkling  with  animation,  gorgeous  in  my 
magnificence,  I  passed  through  and  entered  the 
chamber,  expecting  to  find  a  solitary  guest  await- 
ing me. 

Instead  of  one  I  found  three.  Ah,  God !  that 
weak  humanity  can  suffer  such  extremes  as  that  I 
underwent  in  that  single  glance  and  not  die  of  the 
experience. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  221 

I  got  no  farther  than  one  step  across  the  thresh- 
old before  the  revelation  burst  upon  me.  Then  I 
halted  and  my  arms  dropped  nervelessly  at  my 
side,  letting  fall  unheeded  upon  the  floor  their  rich 
and  perfumed  burden.  I  stood  a  second  so,  staring, 
stricken  with  horror,  before  me,  and  then  there 
came  to  me  an  impulse  similar  to  that  which  had 
constrained  me  long  years  since,  when  I,  a  child, 
had  been  discovered  dancing  in  wanton  disorder  in 
an  attic.  With  scarcely  conscious  volition  I  raised 
my  drooping  arms  and  crossed  them  over  my  naked 
shoulders.  And  thus  I  stood,  abashed  and  silent, 
evincing  in  my  look  and  attitude  all  the  signs  of 
detected  guilt,  a  miserable  culprit  before  my  child. 

She  remained  at  a  little  distance,  flanked  on 
either  side  by  Richard  Quintard  and  his  son,  the 
two  men  who  were  my  best  friends  in  the  world. 
The  eyes  of  both  were  bent,  not  upon  me,  but 
upon  her,  whose  divine  and  rudely  provoked  in- 
nocence had  aroused  the  deep  compassion  and 
solicitude  of  their  masculine  souls.  For  me,  the 
world-hardened  woman,  there  was  no  need  for  fear 
or  apprehension ;  but  for  her,  the  tender  child  of 
inexperience,  their  sympathies  were  painfully  alert. 

As  her  eyes  fell  upon  me  a  bitter  cry  burst  from 
her  pale  lips.  Closer  proximity  but  confirmed  and 
intensified  the  horror  she  had  conceived  of  my 
unfamiliar  appearance.  I  suppose  that,  profoundly 
as  we  might  pity  her  visible  emotion,  not  one  of 


222  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

us  could  adequately  interpret  the  severity  of  the 
shock  her  convent-bred  delicacy  had  sustained. 
The  sound  of  her  sweet  voice  for  the  first  time 
ringing  on  my  ears  unmusically,  like  "  bells,  jan- 
gled out  of  tune,"  awoke  me  from  the  affrighted 
trance  into  which  I  had  fallen.  I  forgot  myself; 
that  overwhelming  sense  of  abasement  and  humil- 
iation, that  agony  of  wounded  self-consciousness 
to  which  I  had  immediately  succumbed,  passed 
from  my  mind  to  be  swallowed  up  in  one  overmas- 
tering sentiment, — consideration  for  my  child. 
Never  had  the  true  spirit  of  motherhood  been  so 
active  within  me.  Maternity,  with  its  endless  chain 
of  obligations  and  sacrifices,  dominated  my  whole 
being  and  banished  every  personal  and  selfish 
reflection  from  my  soul.  My  child  suffered,  and 
through  me!  That  was  the  text  discoursed  by 
her  cry. 

I  started  forward,  trampling  with  ruthless  feet 
upon  the  masses  of  fragrant  bloom  that  lay  at  my 
feet.  I  reached  her  side  and  grasped  her  hands  in 
mine.  I  tried  to  draw  her  to  me,  and  would  have 
wound  my  arms  about  her,  but  she  held  aloof  and 
gazed  at  me  with  wide  and  miserably  averse  eyes, 
as  one  looks  reluctantly  upon  a  monstrous  and 
forbidding  object  which  he  is  constrained,  against 
his  will,  to  behold. 

So  chastising  was  her  look  that  some  anger 
might  have  been  kindled  in  my  heart  by  her  per- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  223 

versity  but  that  her  pain  and  suffering  were  so 
apparent.  Her  glance  held  firmly  and  unwaver- 
ingly to  me,  scanning  my  person  and  its  showy 
attire  as  if  a  loathsome  but  compelling  duty  had 
been  laid  upon  her. 

"  Lisa !"  I  cried ;  "  Lisa !  Turn  your  eyes  away 
from  me.  Do  not  look  at  me  so !  Dearest,  spare 
yourself.  I  cannot  see  you  suffer  so.  Oh,  who  has 
done  this  thing  ?"  I  cried  fiercely,  turning  first  to 
one  and  then  to  the  other  of  the  men.  "  Not  you, 
Richard  Quintard,  nor  you,  Allan.  Then  who 
could  have  done  my  innocent  child  such  harm  as 
this  ?  Who  else  is  here  ?" 

I  searched  the  room  with  aching  eyes.  No  one 
was  there  besides  but  Jean,  who  remained  by  the 
door  with  streaming  eyes.  A  sudden  thought 
struck  me,  and  I  embraced  father  and  son  in  a 
passionately  resentful  glare. 

"  Ah !"  I  exclaimed ;  "  I  see.  It  is  a  woman's 
attempt  to  be  revenged  upon  me.  Ah,  would  to 
Heaven  I  had  never  seen  either  of  you,  that  my 
child  might  have  been  spared  this  moment !" 

I  turned  away  and  wrung  my  hands  together  in 
impotent  despair.  I  could  see  no  way  of  recovering 
the  ground  I  had  lost  in  Lisa's  esteem,  and  I  no 
longer  felt  capable  of  meeting  those  eyes  which 
were  so  unlike  the  gentle,  loving  blue  ones  I  was 
accustomed  to.  These  were  black  with  anguish, 
and  not  a  gleam  of  affection  shone  in  them. 


224  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

Richard  followed  and  drew  me  aside. 

"  You  are  wrong,"  he  said,  in  his  quiet,  meas- 
ured accents,  which  fell  like  balm  upon  my  hot 
spirit.  "  Thank  God,  you  are  wrong.  She  had  no 
part  in  this  foul  business." 

I  raised  my  glance  to  his,  and  the  passionate 
tenderness  with  which  he  was  regarding  me  for  a 
moment  soothed  and  comforted  me.  Only  for  a 
moment  though.  This  was  Lisa's  hour ;  even  the 
man  I  loved  could  not  long  share  her  possession 
of  it. 

"  Oh,"  I  cried,  "  it  is  horrible  treachery  on  some 
one's  part !  How  can  I  remedy  it  ?" 

At  that  instant  there  came  echoing  from  with- 
out the  voice  of  the  call-boy,  crying  in  warning 
tones,  "  The  Queen  of  Hearts  !  Queen  of  Hearts  is 
called !"  And  from  the  distance  was  borne  upon 
the  air  the  sound  of  the  orchestra  playing  the  in- 
terlude which  ushered  in  the  third  act  of  the  piece. 

I  started  like  a  baited  rat  caught  in  a  trap,  and 
looked  wildly  around.  How  was  I  to  go  on  again 
with  this  storm  raging  at  my  heart  and  choking 
my  very  utterance  ?  Command  myself  to  mimic 
mirth  and  gayety  with  the  thought  of  that  young, 
distraught  face  lying  like  a  stone  in  my  breast ! 
Certainly  that  I  could  not.  Coerce  my  voice  to 
soar  in  merry  and  joyous  trills  and  roulades,  with 
misery  bridging  my  throat !  I  had  no  power  for 
the  effort. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  225 

The  call  had  not  fallen  upon  my  ears  alone.  It 
had  had  its  effect  upon  my  companions  as  well.  It 
roused  Jeanie  to  a  recollection  of  her  duties,  and 
she  started  forward  to  repair  certain  ravages  in  my 
toilet.  She  had  scarcely  gained  my  side,  however, 
when  there  came  sweeping  across  the  room  a  slen- 
der figure  which  threw  itself  before  Jeanie  and  upon 
the  floor  at  my  feet,  clutching  my  hands  and  strain- 
ing them  in  a  rigorous  grasp,  while  a  fervent  face 
of  pleading  upturned  itself  in  strong  appeal  to  me. 

"You  will  not  go  on  again — not  so?  Oh, 
mother !" 

Richard  and  Jean  were  alive  to  the  requirements 
laid  upon  me  by  my  professional  engagements; 
both  showed  a  disposition  to  interfere  and  remon- 
strate with  the  child,  but  I  turned  a  look  upon 
them  that  made  them  pause.  Then  I  dropped  my 
eyes  upon  Lisa,  considering  how  dear  she  was  to 
me,  what  claims  she  had  to  prefer  such  a  request, 
and  weighing  against  these  considerations  the 
ponderous  realization  of  what  this  was  she  was 
demanding  of  me. 

She  could  not  know  in  her  ignorance  and  sim- 
plicity how  momentous  an  issue  in  my  life  she  was 
forcing  by  her  impulsive  entreaty.  How  could 
she,  with  no  experience  to  teach  her  of  what  value 
to  the  artist  is  her  career  ?  How  could  she  dream 
that  I  loved  my  profession  dearly,  enthusiastically, 
worthily,  and  that  in  following  my  calling,  even 

15 


226  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

after  the  fashion  she  despised,  I  had  been  led  by 
higher  aspirations  than  those  dictated  by  mere 
wanton  vanity  and  lightness  of  temperament  ?  To 
yield  to  the  entreaties  which  she  was  urging  with 
look  and  touch  and  attitude  was  to  sever  myself 
with  one  rude  stroke  from  the  life  which  had  be- 
come identified  with  my  very  nature.  How  should 
I  bear  my  existence  shorn  of  this  strong  interest  ? 
It  was  true  that  I  had  long  contemplated  retire- 
ment from  the  stage,  but  I  had  regarded  the  close 
of  my  career  and  the  loss  of  a  congenial  occupa- 
tion through  the  medium  of  a  distant  and  hazy 
perspective,  and  it  was  a  far  different  matter  to 
observe  it  staring  me  directly  in  the  face. 

While  I  hesitated  again  came  the  summons  of 
the  call-boy.  They  were  holding  the  stage  for 
me.  Richard  came  resolutely  forward. 

"  My  dear  young  lady,"  he  said,  gently,  to  Lisa, 
"  you  must  allow  your  mother  to  fulfil  her  engage- 
ment. She  has  no  choice  in  the  matter.  You 
are  distressing  her  beyond  measure.  Let  her  go, 
I  beg  you." 

He  extended  his  hand  and  laid  it  upon  our 
joined  ones,  thinking  to  induce  her  to  loosen  her 
grasp.  But  she  paid  no  heed  to  him,  keeping  her 
eyes  still  fixed  entreatingly  upon  my  face. 

Then  Allan  advanced  and  accosted  his  father  in 
a  tone  of  strong  remonstrance. 

"  Let  her  alone,  father,"  he  exclaimed,  respect- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  227 

fully  but  firmly.  "  She  is  right.  Who  can  blame 
her?  I  should  hate  to  see  my  mother  in  the  play, 
I  am  sure." 

"  Ettu,  Brute  /"  The  quotation  shot  through  my 
brain  as  lightning  flashes  through  a  gloomy  sky. 
One  upbraiding  glance  I  cast  at  the  lad  who  had 
ever  been  my  firm  adherent.  Alas !  his  gaze  was 
resting  upon  a  maid  younger  and  lovelier  than  the 
woman  whose  knight  he  had  hitherto  been,  and 
his  recreant  attention  was  occupied  with  a  tenderer 
concern. 

The  last  straw,  a  feather-weight,  it  is  true,  but 
still  a  potency,  had  fallen  upon  my  indecision. 

"  Jean,"  I  cried  with  trembling  lips  and  working 
features,  "come  here.  Go;  tell  them  I  am  ill, 
indisposed,  unable  to  finish  out  the  evening.  Bid 
them  send  on  Miss  Caryll  (my  understudy.)" 
Then,  as  the  girl  obeyed  my  command,  I  addressed 
the  two  men.  "  Please  go,"  I  said.  "  I  wish  to  be 
alone  with  my  daughter." 

When  they  were  gone  I  led  Lisa  to  a  sofa  and 
drew  her  down  beside  me  upon  it.  The  worst  had 
befallen  me ;  the  crisis  had  passed,  and  the  time 
for  explanation  and  rehabilitation  was  come.  Al- 
most before  I  had  begun  to  speak  my  manager 
appeared  with  expostulation  and  entreaty  on  his 
lips,  but  I  held  no  parley  with  him,  and  dismissed 
him  with  scant  consideration.  He  had  little  sus- 
picion that  my  indisposition  of  the  moment  was  to 


228  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

stretch  out  over  the  remainder  of  a  lifetime,  and 
went  off,  probably  cursing  the  whims  and  caprices 
of  stars,  to  make  my  apologies  to  a  disappointed 
audience. 

I  need  not  go  into  the  particulars  of  that  inter- 
view with  Lisa.  That  it  was  most  distressing  to  us 
both  may  be  easily  imagined.  I  found  it  difficult, 
indeed  impossible,  to  reconcile  her  to  my  appren- 
ticeship to  an  art  which  required  such  concessions 
from  womanly  delicacy  and  reserve.  She  said 
little ;  I  could  see  that  she  made  desperate  efforts 
to  conceal  from  me  her  complete  revulsion  of  feel- 
ing towards  one  of  whom  she  had  been  wont  to 
make  an  ideal.  But  the  efforts  were  too  obvious, 
and  pained  me  far  more  than  her  first  frank  be- 
trayal of  abhorrence.  I  would  much  rather  have 
dealt  with  her  candid  repugnance  than  with  her 
attempted  reserve.  This  built  up  a  wall  of  ice 
between  us,  and  I  grew  disheartened  in  my  struggle 
to  undermine  it  with  the  warmth  of  my  affection. 

Finally,  having  said  all  in  extenuation  of  my 
offence  that  occurred  to  me,  without  apparent  effect 
upon  the  stern  young  judge  who  sat  stiffly  and  un- 
compromisingly, with  downcast  eyes,  by  my  side, 
I  grew  discouraged,  and  decided  to  hold  my  peace. 
Eloquence  could  not  avail,  I  felt,  in  the  recovery 
of  the  respect  and  love  which  I  had  lost.  Time 
and  observance  of  that  virtue  which  had  become 
compromised  in  her  eyes,  familiarity  and  propin- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  229 

quity,  must  restore  that  confidence  which  had  re- 
ceived so  severe  a  shock. 

I  rose  from  her  side  and  stood  a  moment  facing 
her  with  dignity.  She  was  very  pale,  the  poor 
little  one,  and  my  heart  ached  for  her,  but  I  told 
myself  that  it  would  scarcely  aid  my  cause  to 
remain  longer  in  the  self-accusing  attitude  of  a 
suppliant.  I  spoke  to  her  very  gently,  but  no 
longer  with  the  humility  of  one  who  confesses  a 
fault ;  rather  with  the  assurance  and  self-posses- 
sion of  one  strong  in  the  support  of  her  own  con- 
science. 

"  Lisa,"  I  said,  "  my  dear  little  girl,  I  have  been 
trying  to  excuse  to  you  certain  actions  of  mine 
which  seem  offences  in  your  eyes,  not  because  I 
acknowledge  them  to  be  such,  but  because  I  am 
responsible  for  the  point  of  view  from  which  you 
behold  them.  The  standard  of  right  and  wrong  in 
this  world  is  not  immutable,  as  you  may  suppose ; 
it  varies  according  to  the  circumstances  which 
have  developed  the  consciences  of  different  indi- 
viduals. What  to  you,  reared  in  the  seclusion  of 
a  convent  life,  appears  shocking  impropriety  and 
gross  indelicacy,  seems  to  me,  developed  in  the 
glare  and  publicity  of  a  professional  career,  only 
the  natural  and  ordinary  methods  employed  by 
those  who  share  my  calling. 

"  I  would  not  have  you  different,  dear.  I  re- 
joice in  the  purity  and  innocence  that  make  you 


230  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

so  implacable  a  judge,  even  while  I  suffer  from 
them.  It  was  for  the  very  purpose  of  having  these 
qualities  cultivated  in  you  that  I  placed  you  under 
the  care  of  those  holy  and  unworldly  women.  But 
I  had  hoped  to  prepare  your  mind  myself  for  the 
knowledge  which  has  so  rudely  come  upon  you. 
I  wished  that  I,  who  love  you  best  in  the  world, 
should  be  the  one  to  inform  you  of  facts  that 
might  distress  you.  Some  one  has  robbed  me  of 
this  privilege,  and  it  is  too  late  for  me  to  recover 
it.  My  only  hope  now  lies  in  the  possibility  that, 
in  sharing  this  life  which  has  formed  my  views, 
you  may  come  in  time  to  share  them,  and  so 
learn  to  do  me  better  justice.  You  shall  not  re- 
turn to  the  convent ;  henceforward  my  home  shall 
be  yours." 

It  was  the  privilege  she  had  so  long  craved 
which  I  now  granted  her,  but  I  sought  in  vain  for 
a  gleam  of  pleasure  in  her  weary  little  face.  She 
murmured  some  syllables,  but  in  c.  tone  too  low 
for  me  to  catch  the  words.  I  suppose  she  said 
"  Thank  you,"  but  the  reply,  whatever  it  was,  was 
merely  perfunctory  and  so  valueless. 

Then,  all  of  a  sudden,  it  seemed  to  me  I  should 
die.  A  fierce  realization  of  what  this  meant  to  me. 
this  awful  separation  of  sympathy  between  us,[came 
over  me,  and  I  sank  low  upon  my  knees,  and  threw 
my  arms  about  the  child. 

"  Lisa,  Lisa/'  I  cried,  "  don't  you  love  me  any 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  231 

more  ?  I  am  your  mother  still ;  and  my  heart  is 
breaking." 

And  then  I  saw  her  lips  tremble,  and  slowly 
great  tears  rose  in  her  eyes  and  rolled  heavily 
down  her  cheeks.  She  made  no  demonstration  to 
return  my  embrace,  but  dropped  her  face  in  her 
hands. 

"  Yes,  I  love  you,  oh,  I  love  you !"  she  said ; 
"  but  there  are  other  things  than  love  in  the  world, 
and  I  cannot  forget  them." 

Then  I  gave  it  up  in  earnest.  She  and  I  were 
both  the  victims  of  her  rigid  training,  and  only 
wider  experience  could  come  to  the  rescue  of 
our  mutual  affection.  I  relinquished  all  further 
attempts  to  placate  her,  and  contented  myself  with 
the  business  of  probing  this  dastardly  piece  of 
treachery  to  its  depths. 

Of  course,  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  me  to  con- 
jecture, after  Lisa  mentioned  Nita  Conquest,  how 
she  had  obtained  the  letter  which  induced  the 
mother-superior  to  confide  my  daughter  to  her 
care.  My  own  carelessness  had  furnished  my 
enemy  with  the  implement  of  her  cruel  revenge. 
She  had  stolen  it,  as  it  lay  open  on  my  desk, 
after  I  had  left  her  in  sole  possession  of  my  draw- 
ing-room. 

A  pretty  bit  of  vengeance  she  and  my  precious 
father  had  hatched  between  them.  No  wonder 
the  germs  of  such  low  and  heartless  villainy  should 


232  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

attaint  the  atmosphere  and  develop  foreboding  in 
a  sensitive  breast.  Truly  had  poor  Isidore  spoken 
when  he  asserted  that  my  wretched  father  had  the 
"  evil  eye"  for  me.  Through  whose  instrumentality 
but  that  of  him  to  whom  I  owed  my  existence,  was 
I  indebted  for  this  stroke  that  had  afflicted  me  ? 
He  had  secured  what  golden  eggs  he  could  and 
then  had  satisfied  a  mean  vindictiveness  by  aiming 
a  cunning  stroke  at  the  very  heart  of  the  foolish 
goose  that  had  supplied  him. 

A  knock  at  the  door,  and  I  rose  to  open  it 
Allan  stood  without,  his  face  full  of  anxiety.  My 
heart  warmed  at  sight  of  the  lad;  his  devotion 
cheered  me,  and  I  smiled,  not  mirthfully  but  grate- 
fully, as  I  met  his  worried  glance. 

"  How  is  she  ?"  he  asked,  and  my  spirits  sank 
again.  It  was  for  Lisa  he  had  been  solicitous ;  of 
her  he  had  come  to  inquire.  Truly  my  value  must 
be  pretty  generally  depreciating  when  even  he,  the 
lad  who  never  before  had  failed  me,  placed  a 
stranger  before  me. 

"  Come  in,"  I  said,  wearily,  forcing  a  smite.  "  She 
shall  answer  for  herself." 

He  entered,  and  I  laid  my  hand  upon  his  arm 
and  led  him  forward  to  where  Lisa  still  sat  upon 
the  sofa. 

"  Lisa,"  I  said,  "  I  wish  to  introduce  you  to  a 
dear  friend  of  mine.  However  much  I  may  have 
disappointed  you,  my  dear,  here  is  one  in  whom 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  233 

you  will  never  find  cause  for  criticism.  Of  all 
those  whom  I  might  present  to  you,  I  would  rec- 
ommend chiefly  Allan  Quintard." 

The  boy  raised  my  hand  to  his  lips,  even  before 
he  saluted  Lisa ;  and  for  an  instant  I  think  he  was 
filled  with  shame  at  his  own  defection.  But  I 
smiled  brightly  and  reassuringly  back  at  him,  and 
I  think  the  words  with  which  he  repaid  my  release 
did  me  yeoman's  service  with  Lisa. 

"  If  I  were  to  choose  the  lips  from  which  I  was 
to  receive  such  a  guarantee,"  he  returned,  looking 
me  affectionately  in  the  eyes  with  his  bright  young 
glance,  "  I  could  not  select  any  purer,  or  lovelier, 
or  more  generous  ones  than  those  which  have 
done  me  such  unmerited  honor,  madame." 

And  then  he  turned  to  Lisa.  Oh,  the  wondrous 
power  of  Prince  Charming!  Who  would  have 
dreamed  that  where  I,  beloved  of  years,  had  failed, 
a  lad  of  an  hour's  acquaintance  could  succeed? 
And  yet  Allan  uttered  but  a  few  words  before  the 
child's  color  had  returned  to  her  pale  cheeks  and 
her  sad  eyes  brightened.  The  expression  of  shock 
and  pain  disappeared  from  her  features,  and,  though 
she  said  but  little,  she  smiled  at  intervals,  and  even 
warmed  somewhat  in  her  manner  towards  me. 
When  I  saw  how  well  they  got  on  together,  I  ex- 
cused myself  a  moment  and  left  the  room.  I  knew 
I  should  find  Jean  hovering  about  the  corridor, 
and,  sure  enough,  there  she  stood  in  a  corner, 


234  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

awaiting  my  need  of  her.  I  called  her  name  and 
she  came  hastening  towards  me. 

"  Jean,"  I  said,  "  do  you  know  who  has  done  me 
this  evil  ?" 

She  nodded  with  set  lips. 

"  Yes,"  she  replied ;  "  I  saw  them." 

"  Nita  Conquest  and— Picot  ?" 

I  never  had  called  him  father,  and  never  would. 

"  Yes ;  they  brought  her  here  and  left  her.  Mr. 
Quintard  came  immediately  after  them,  and  I  think 
had  got  some  inkling  of  their  deviltry,  for  he  told 
me  who  the  young  lady  was,  and  bade  me  be  very 
tender  with  her,  as  she  had  had  a  great  shock." 

"Ah!"  I  said;  "and  Allan?" 

"  Allan  was  waiting  for  you  here  in  the  corridor. 
He  gave  me  no  opportunity  to  do  anything  for 
Miss  Mavis.  He  took  all  the  care  of  her  at  once." 

She  was  on  the  point  of  smiling  significantly 
when  apparently  a  recollection  of  the  scene  she 
had  witnessed  in  my  dressing-room  revived  in  her 
a  memory  of  what  I  had  suffered.  She  clinched 
her  small  fists,  and  a  gleam  of  savage  hatred  and 
resentment  darkened  her  gray  eyes.  I  had  never 
dreamed  she  could  look  so  dangerous. 

"  Oh,"  she  cried,  "  what  consummate  fiends  they 
must  be !  I  wish  that  I  might  come  across  them, 
either  or  both." 

Scarcely  had  she  uttered  this  when  a  small, 
slight  figure  advanced  towards  us  through  the 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  235 

shadows  which  lurked  about  the  half-lighted  place. 
And  a  voice,  but  too  familiar  to  my  ears,  accosted 
me. 

"  I  have  come  to  congratulate  madame  upon  her 
reunion  with  her  charming  daughter,  and  to  receive 
a  reward  for  my  services  in  effecting  the  same.  I 
wish  also  to  assure  madame  of  my  perfect  discreet- 
ness. I  have  refrained  from  mentioning  to  the 
young  lady  the  fact  that  her  mother  has  a  distin- 
guished lover — as  yet." 

I  had  no  time  to  restrain  Jean.  Like  a  cat, 
with  the  very  bound  of  the  feline  animal,  she  had 
sprung  upon  the  man.  I  cried  out,  and  the  sharp 
sound  reached  the  ears  of  Allan  in  the  dressing- 
room.  In  an  incredibly  brief  time  he  had  re- 
sponded to  it  and  was  between  the  two  small 
figures  engaged  in  their  desperate  struggle.  They 
were  pinned  against  the  wall,  and  he  had  not  time 
to  discover  what  the  trouble  was.  All  he  could 
tell  was  that  a  man  and  woman  were  engaged  in  a 
fierce  conflict,  and  in  such  encounters  it  is  the  part 
of  an  outsider  to  espouse  the  side  of  the  weaker 
adversary. 

In  the  very  act  of  thrusting  his  brave  young 
body  between  the  two  a  horrid  accident  befell  him. 
Picot  had  snatched  from  some  place  of  concealment 
about  his  person  a  small  revolver.  It  behooves  the 
treacherous  and  criminal  to  go  armed.  It  was  at 
the  woman  who  clung  like  a  wildcat  about  him  that 


236  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

he  had  meant  to  point  it,  but  the  sudden  onslaught 
of  Allan  made  him  miss  aim,  and  the  weapon  dis- 
charged into  the  young  fellow's  shoulder.  There 
was  a  chorus  of  cries  from  us  women ;  from  Jean, 
who  held  yet  more  tenaciously  to  her  victim  and 
hindered  with  her  stout  limbs  his  efforts  to  escape ; 
from  me,  who  nearly  dropped  where  I  stood  from 
sheer  fright  and  horror ;  and  from  Lisa,  who,  like 
a  tall,  pale  lily,  leaned  against  the  door-way,  for  an 
instant  paralyzed  by  amazement  and  fear. 

But  when  she  met  the  look  that  Allan  straight- 
way turned  upon  her,  she  no  longer  remained  a 
mere  passive  observer  of  the  scene.  With  a  fleet  step 
she  pressed  forward  and  threw  her  young  weight 
also  upon  the  struggling  man,  gazing  the  while, 
however,  at  the  injured  lad,  who  had  fallen  back 
against  the  wall,  trying  to  stanch  with  weak  fingers 
the  blood  that  flowed  copiously  from  his  wound. 

It  was  but  a  moment  before  a  crowd  had  gath- 
ered, drawn  from  wings  and  corridors  by  the  report 
of  the  shot.  Masculine  hands  relieved  Jean  of  her 
charge,  and  hurried  questions  required  explana- 
tions of  what  had  passed.  All  looked  to  me, 
whose  authority  in  the  theatre  had  so  long  been 
supreme. 

What  was  I  to  do  ?  Could  I  impeach  my  own 
father  ?  Could  I  consign  him  to  jail,  and  send  him 
yet  another  step  along  that  downward  course  to 
which  he  had  so  long  inclined  ? 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  237 

I  looked  at  him ;  at  the  mean,  contemptible,  ill- 
favored  face;  at  the  puny,  weak,  and  trembling 
frame ;  at  the  quivering  limbs  and  hands,  shaking 
as  if  palsied  with  fear  of  the  consequences  of  his 
evil  deed — and  hesitated.  Could  I  claim  such  a 
paltry  being  as  that — a  creature  stamped  so  plainly 
with  all  the  features  of  low  cunning  and  sordid 
spirit — as  a  parent  ?  It  seemed  to  me  impossible  to 
own  him  before  all  these  people,  in  whose  esteem 
I  stood  high.  To  do  so  would  not  only  humble 
my  pride  to  a  low  degree,  but  it  would  also  bring 
a  chain  of  endless  and  harassing  consequences  in 
its  train,  by  enlightening  the  man  as  to  his  rela- 
tionship to  me.  I  should  furnish  him  deliberately 
with  pretensions  which  it  would  be  difficult  for  me 
hereafter  to  ignore. 

I  formed  a  conclusion  and  was  about  to  speak, 
denouncing  him  as  he  apparently  expected  me  to 
do,  for  there  was  little  hope  or  eagerness  in  the 
gaze  he  had  fixed  on  me.  But,  as  I  opened  my 
lips  for  the  purpose  of  accusing  him,  a  thought,  so 
vivid  as  to  seem  almost  like  an  injunction  from  an 
unseen  monitor,  admonished  me  to  consider  that 
this  man,  low  as  he  had  sunk,  pitiful  and  unworthy 
of  esteem  as  he  appeared,  was  yet  the  husband  of 
my  mother;  the  man  whom  she  had  died  loving. 

I  took  a  step  forward  and  raised  my  hand  in 
mute  expostulation. 

"Wait,"  I  said  to  the  men  who  had  relieved 


238  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

Jeanie  of  her  charge ;  "  release  that  gentleman,  if 
you  please.  It  is  all  a  mistake.  My  companion 
came  upon  us  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  handing  me 
a  pistol  which  I  had  asked  him  to  procure  for  me. 
She  thought  that  he  was  threatening  me  and 
sprang  upon  him  so  suddenly  that  the  pistol  ex- 
ploded in  his  hand  and  hit  Mr.  Allan  Quintard, 
who  had  been  drawn  from  my  dressing-room  by 
the  sound  of  the  struggle.  Let  some  one  see  at 
once,  please,  if  a  surgeon  or  physician  can  be 
found  in  the  audience.  And  you  will  let  that  gen- 
tleman go  at  once." 

My  words  did  not  seem  to  carry  strong  convic- 
tion to  the  breasts  of  those  who  held  the  amazed 
man.  I  found  that  I  could  not  evade  the  duty  laid 
upon  me.  Therefore  I  summoned  a  haughty  smile 
to  my  lips,  and  moved  yet  closer  to  Picot. 

"  You  do  not  seem  willing  to  release  your  pris- 
oner," I  remarked,  somewhat  imperiously.  "  Per- 
haps you  think  there  is  some  flaw  or  weakness  in 
my  statement.  Well,  then,  let  me  convince  you 
that  I  am  speaking  the  simple  truth.  This  gentle- 
man, whom  you  are  seeking  to  detain,  is  my  father. 
Do  you  now  think  that  the  pistol  was  brought 
here  with  any  ulterior  motive  ?" 


CHAPTER    X. 

I  MIGHT  have  spared  myself  all  uneasiness  on 
the  score  of  future  annoyance  from  Picot.  As  I 
calmly  and  deliberately  made  the  astounding  reve- 
lation, which  surprised  him  no  less  than  his  captors, 
I  cast  one  look  at  him  and  saw  the  mean  expres- 
sion of  physical  fear  on  his  countenance  give  way 
to  one  of  incredulous  amazement.  But  I  had  no 
wish  for  explanation  or  interview  of  any  sort  with 
him  that  night,  and  so,  as  I  finished  speaking,  I 
drew  Allan  hurriedly  into  my  dressing-room,  reso- 
lutely closing  the  door  upon  all  others,  with  the 
exception  of  Jean  and  Lisa. 

The  wound  was  by  no  means  a  dangerous  one, 
and  the  surgeon,  who  soon  appeared,  preferred 
removing  his  patient  to  his  own  office  before  ex- 
tracting the  tiny  bullet.  It  had  been  no  difficult 
matter  to  find  the  lad's  father,  who  was  loitering 
about  the  stage-entrance  of  the  theatre,  probably 
intending  to  say  good-night  to  me  as  I  went  home. 
He  accompanied  Allan,  who  made  light  of  the  affair 
after  his  own  bright,  brave  way ;  and  another,  but 
for  her  exceeding  shyness  and  maidenly  modesty, 
would  fain,  I  think,  have  gone  with  him  also,  to  try 
her  simple  skill  upon  his  wounded  body.  There 

239 


240  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

was  sore  anxiety  and  distress  in  the  sweet  blue 
eyes  that  watched  his  departure  wistfully,  and  an 
answering  tenderness  in  the  dark  ones  that  grate- 
fully reassured  her  solicitude.  Ah,  me !  It  was  a 
foregone  conclusion  from  the  moment  they  met 
that  those  children  should  love  each  other. 

It  is  true  that  the  next  day,  when  Stone  came  to 
me  with  the  intelligence  that  Monsieur  Picot  was 
waiting  in  the  drawing-room  to  see  me,  I  fully  be- 
lieved that  I  was  about  to  reap  the  first  result  of 
my  act  of  filial  duty,  and,  bracing  my  firmness  up 
to  the  point  of  implacability  beyond  a  certain  point 
(for  I  had  decided  that,  now  I  had  owned  him,  I 
would  grant  him  a  fixed  allowance)  I  went  in  to  meet 
him,  prepared  for  any  degree  of  impudent  extortion. 

What  was  my  surprise  to  discover  in  his  manner 
and  demeanor  a  quality  that  separated  them  widely 
from  his  former  attitude  towards  me.  All  self- 
assurance  had  dropped  from  him,  and  all  temerity  f 
too.  A  timidity  seemed  to  possess  him,  and  a 
newly-acquired  consciousness  of  merit  sat  upon 
his  sallow  brow.  He  rose,  with  downcast  eyes,  as 
I  entered,  and  addressed  me  with  a  deference  that 
bordered  on  servility.  It  was  a  curious  and  marked 
change  that  had  come  over  him,  quite  remarkable 
considering  how  short  an  interval  had  produced  it. 
It  was  as  if  a  cloak  of  boldness  had  dropped  from 
him,  and  a  crown  of  honor,  to  which  he  was 
endeavoring  to  grow  accustomed,  had  been  placed 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  241 

upon  his  head.  It  was  evident  that  he  needed  the 
protection  of  the  cloak  to  enable  him  to  appear  at 
ease  beneath  the  strange  and  oppressive  weight  of 
the  crown.  As  I  came  into  the  room  he  was 
gazing  at  a  full-length  picture  of  me  which  stood 
in  a  rococo  frame  on  a  centre-table.  He  raised  his 
eyes  from  it  and  glanced  at  me,  as  if  comparing  my 
actual  appearance  with  its  counterfeit  presentment, 
and  then  they  fell  as  if  abashed  to  the  floor,  and 
he  failed  to  look  at  me  while  he  spoke. 

"  Madame,"  he  said,  in  a  low,  hesitating  tone, 
which  did  not  resemble  his  ordinary  aggressive 
and  self-important  accents,  "  what  did  that  mean 
which  you  said  last  night  ?" 

"It  meant  just  what  it  conveyed,"  I  replied, 
shortly,  for  I  liked  him  no  better  under  this  new 
phase  than  under  the  old. 

"  That  I  am  your  father  ?"  he  asked,  still  with 
down-bent  glance,  and  with  hands  that  nervously 
fingered  his  hat. 

"  Exactly  that." 

He  waited  a  moment.     Then  he  faltered, — 

"  You  are  the  daughter  of  Lena  Mavis  ?" 

"  Yes,"  I  replied ;  "  and  the  widow  of  her  cousin 
James." 

He  gave  a  little  gasp  of  shocked  incredulity  at 
that,  and  raised  his  eyes  to  me. 

"  Of  James  Mavis, — you  the  widow  of  James 
Mavis !"  he  ejaculated,  as  if  bewildered. 

16 


242  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

I  bowed.  "  Yes.  He  was  the  father  of  that  child 
of  whose  existence  you  thought  me  ashamed." 

The  man  seemed  to  cower  together  at  that,  as  if 
regretful  and  ashamed  of  his  conduct  towards  me. 

"  I  have  wronged  you — much.  Why  did  you 
•own  me  before  all  those  people  last  night  ?" 

Notwithstanding  all  his  humility  there  was  a 
ring  of  exultation  in  his  voice  as  he  asked  me  this 
last  question  that  at  once  furnished  me  with  the 
key  to  the  pitiful  nature  I  was  dealing  with.  It 
was  not  remorse,  nor  repentance,  nor  latent  affec- 
tion that  had  wrought  this  swift  alteration  in  the 
man,  but  a  suddenly  propitiated  vanity  which  be- 
held me  as  its  chief  ministrant.  I  suspected  it 
then  to  be  what  I  later  proved  it,  the  very  pivot 
upon  which  my  father's  whole  nature  swung,  the 
keystone  of  the  arch  of  his  character, — this  con- 
temptible and  miserable  vanity. 

"  Because  it  was  my  duty,"  I  answered,  with  fine 
disdain  of  any  sentiment  in  the  matter. 

He  seemed  to  reflect  a  moment  after  I  said  this. 

"  Was  that  the  reason  that  you  gave  me  money 
at  different  times  ?"  he  asked,  presently. 

"  It  was.  I  did  not  care  to  feel  that  my  own 
father  was  in  absolute  poverty  while  I  was  in  af- 
fluence. But  I  had  no  wish  to  acknowledge  you, 
all  the  same." 

He  nodded,  quite  as  if  in  sympathy  with  my  re- 
luctance. 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  243 

"  I  don't  blame  you,"  he  said.  "  No  one  could 
expect  a  great  lady  like  you  to  call  another  woman's 
servant  her  father.  You  must  be  very  rich  ?" 

The  last  phrase  was  half-exclamation,  half- ques- 
tion, and  I  scented  extortion  in  it.  It  was  soon 
proved,  however,  that  this  time  my  intuition  was 

at  fault.  For,  when  I  began,  "  As  to  money " 

he  interrupted  hastily, — 

"  I  have  no  need  of  any,  myself,  if  you  think  I 
meant  that.  You  need  not  fear  that  henceforth  I 
shall  bleed  you.  It  is  enough  that  the  world  knows 
that  I,  Leon  Picot,  am  the  father  of  the  great,  the 
celebrated,  the  beautiful  and  talented  danseuse, 
Madame  Cleo.  It  was  a  proud  moment,  that  of 
last  night.  I  shall  not  soon  forget  its  pleasurable 
emotions.  And  I  shall  not  cease  to  remember, 
either,  that  it  was  to  the  good  heart  of  one  to 
whom  I  had  done  many  injuries  that  I  was  in- 
debted for  so  profound  a  pleasure.  Leon  Picot 
has  his  moments  of  revenge,  but  he  has  his  mo- 
ments of  gratitude  also.  He  will  find  occasion  to 
repay  his  just  debts  as  well  as  his  wrongs." 

I  could  not  but  shiver,  for  I  remembered  how 
many  hours  of  anguish  this  man  had  caused  me. 
He  had  very  quick  perceptions,  and  at  once  dis- 
covered that  it  would  be  a  relief  to  me  to  be  rid 
of  him.  Immediately  his  fingers  tightened  their 
grasp  of  his  hat,  and  he  advanced  a  step  towards 
me. 


244  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

"I  go,"  he  said.  "Do  not  fear  that  I  shall 
trouble  you  henceforth.  I  am  content  that  the 
world  is  informed  of  the  honor  that  has  been  con- 
ferred upon  me.  I  may  hold  up  my  head  now 
among  the  proudest.  But,  before  we  part,  one 

favor "  I  felt  that  his  protestations  had  been 

but  fine  speaking,  and  the  muscles  of  my  face  har- 
dened into  an  expression  of  positive  denial.  "  You 
have  a  duplicate  of  this  portrait — yes,  is  it  not  ? 
Permit  me  to  possess  a  copy  of  it.  It  will  be  a 
gratification  to  the  fatherly  feeling  that  I  already 
discover  to  be  growing  within  me." 

I  suppressed  an  ironical  smile,  for  I  felt  that  his 
vanity  was  too  supreme  a  passion  to  be  treated 
lightly,  and  I  had  proved  that  this  ver-coquin,  as  he 
had  styled  himself,  could,  indeed,  bore  to  the  root 
of  the  vine.  If  he  really  meant  to  hold  to  his 
word — and  something  of  special  earnestness  in  his 
manner  made  me  believe  that  in  this  instance  his 
integrity  was  to  be  relied  on — a  photograph  was 
cheap  payment  for  riddance  from  his  society.  I 
went  over  to  the  table  and  drew  the  picture  out 
of  its  frame. 

"  Here,"  I  said.  "  You  may  have  this,  if  you 
want  it" 

I  held  it  out  for  him  to  take,  and  as  he  stretched 
out  his  hand  for  it  a  sentimental  crisis  seemed  to 
take  place  within  him.  He  dropped  on  his  knees 
and  seized  my  fingers  in  a  convulsive  grasp,  carry- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  245 

ing  them  to  his  lips  in  a  sort  of  frenzy  of  joy  and 
homage. 

"  Mon  Dieu  !"  he  cried,  relapsing  into  his  native 
tongue  in  his  excitement,  "  but  it  is  a  distinction 
of  the  rarest,  a  glory  of  the  most  coveted,  to  be 
the  father  of  one  so  beautiful  and  so  distin- 
guished." 

I  sickened  as  I  felt  the  touch  of  his  lips  upon 
my  hand,  and  hastily  withdrew  my  fingers  from 
his  clasp.  Not  a  throb  of  filial  affection  assisted 
me  during  the  interview.  It  seemed  as  if  each 
moment  spent  in  his  company  developed  new  and 
more  ignoble  traits  of  his  character.  The  much- 
vaunted  instinct  of  consanguinity  failed  me  in  my 
hour  of  need,  and  never  appeared  thenceforward 
to  reconcile  me  to  the  distasteful  necessity  of  play- 
ing a  daughter's  part  towards  a  father  from  whom 
all  my  impulses  shrank. 

He  left  almost  immediately  after  that,  and  I  must 
say  that  he  has  fulfilled  his  promise  not  to  trouble 
me  to  the  letter.  Although  he  did  not  desire  it,  I 
insisted  upon  making  him  a  regular  allowance,  for  I 
can  enjoy  my  own  luxury  more  comfortably  feeling 
that  he  is  provided  for.  He  brings  his  receipt  in 
person,  and  occasionally  I  am  at  home  when  he 
comes  and  I  receive  him  for  a  little  while.  But  he 
never  takes  advantage  of  these  visits.  He  is  still 
humble  and  meek  to  the  verge  of  sycophancy,  and 
it  is  evident  that  his  admiration  of  me,  in  whose 


246  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

reflected  glory  he  is  enabled  to  shine,  has  become 
a  species  of  cult,  absorbing  all  the  strength  of  his 
feeble  intellect.  There  is  no  doubt  that  his  vanity 
is,  in  proportion  to  his  stature,  colossal.  It  domi- 
nates and  directs  all  his  actions  and  emotions.  It 
is  his  fetish,  and  he  is  continually  making  sacrifice 
to  it.  I  have  become  the  high-priestess  that  feeds 
the  flames  upon  his  altar,  and  his  old  feeling  of 
revenge  towards  me  has  turned  into  the  passionate 
enthusiasm  of  a  votary  for  his  saint. 

For  me,  the  woman,  he  has  no  warmer  senti- 
ment than  he  ever  had,  nor  gratitude  for  my  open 
avowal  of  our  relationship.  The  nobler  sentiments 
of  humanity  are,  I  believe,  wholly  lacking  to  him. 
But  for  me,  the  celebrated  actress,  the  successful 
artist,  who  has  attained  eminence  in  a  career  in 
which  he  has  himself  signally  failed,  he  has  a  pro- 
found veneration  established  upon  the  fact,  which 
was  a  glorious  oblation  to  his  vanity,  that  in  the 
proudest  moment  of  my  triumph  I  stooped  from 
my  lofty  estate  to  clasp  hands  in  the  most  familiar 
of  relationships  with  one  in  dire  disgrace. 

Pah !  it  is  this  pitiful  and  petty  self-esteem  of  his 
that  most  repels  me  in  him.  Were  he  even  more 
perverted  and  corrupt  and  less  vain,  I  might  find  it 
less  difficult  to  tolerate  him.  One  may  come  to 
forgive  a  man  his  crimes,  but  it  is  hard  to  bear 
patiently  with  his  weaknesses. 

The  terms  of  the  sacrifice  which  Lisa  had  re- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  247 

quired  of  me  were  not  easy  of  fulfilment.  It  is  no 
simple  thing  for  a  star  in  the  full  swing  of  a  bril- 
liant season  to  break  faith  abruptly  with  her  man- 
ager and  the  public  and  withdraw  permanently 
from  the  stage.  My  financial  loss  was,  of  course, 
very  large,  but,  notwithstanding  my  liberal  indul- 
gence of  luxurious  and  expensive  tastes,  I  had 
been  discreet  in  the  investment  of  the  large  gains 
I  had  made  in  the  past,  and  my  future,  as  well  as 
that  of  my  child,  was  amply  provided  for. 

Had  it  not  been  for  Allan,  the  relations  between 
Lisa  and  me,  strained  by  the  rude  shock  to  which 
they  had  been  subjected,  might  have  widened  into 
a  considerable  breach.  But  his  almost  constant 
presence  in  our  midst  dispelled  the  shadow  of 
aloofness  that  had  threatened  to  settle  between  us, 
and  his  ready  tact  by  degrees  blended  into  new 
harmony  the  sad  discord  that  had  made  wretched 
our  hearts. 

I  had  another  talk  with  Lisa  the  day  after  the 
denouement.  What  I  said  to  her  was  little  more 
than  a  repetition  of  what  I  had  urged  the  previous 
night,  but  she  was  in  a  far  calmer  mood,  and  I 
felt  that  what  I  said  would  gain  a  better  and  more 
reasonable  hearing  now  than  it  had  then.  She  was 
still  very  non-committal,  however,  and  I  felt  that  her 
prejudices  had  suffered  no  abatement.  I  finished 
by  beseeching  her  to  suspend  judgment  until  she 
had  had  better  opportunity  to  form  an  unbiassed 


248  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

opinion  of  those  things  she  deprecated  and  con- 
demned in  a  woman  of  my  position  than  those  that 
had  been  afforded  her  in  the  seclusion  and  con- 
tracted limits  of  a  convent-school. 

And  there  we  left  the  matter,  and  there,  Heaven 
be  thanked,  it  has  remained,  safely  buried  under  an 
accumulating  heap  of  sacred  tokens  of  mutual  love 
and  esteem,  which  has  formed  a  sort  of  Druid's 
cairn  above  the  vault  where  all  hideous  disaffec- 
tions  lie  interred.  We  are  one  now  in  love  and 
comprehension  and  sympathy.  I  have  but  one 
secret  from  my  child,  and  that  is  my  own.  I  have 
a  miser's  greed  concerning  it.  Have  I  not  pur- 
chased the  right  to  keep  it  at  such  a  price  as  war- 
rants one  in  the  desire  to  hoard  it  ? 

I  watched  the  development  of  that  wonderful 
germ  of  love  at  first  sight,  which  had  been  gener- 
ated by  a  single  glance  in  my  dressing-room  that 
night,  with  a  satisfaction  and  pleasure  that,  assur- 
edly at  first,  were  quite  impersonal.  It  was  not 
until  it  had  become  full-grown  that  the  idea  of  a 
resulting  benefit  to  myself  occurred  to  me.  And, 
was  it  strange,  that  when  it  did  present  itself  to  me, 
the  thought  that  the  consummation  of  Lisa's  hap- 
piness would  be  the  key  to  unlock  the  door  to  my 
union  with  Richard,  should  seem  a  good  omen  for 
the  prosperity  of  my  love  for  him  ? 

He  came,  not  over-frequently,  but  occasionally, 
to  see  me.  I  had  not  thought  it  necessary  to  quite 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  249 

forbid  his  visits,  and  his  own  good  taste  kept  him, 
at  present,  without  the  bounds  of  intimacy.  I  no 
longer  saw  him  alone,  although  we  managed  to 
hold  many  a  tete-a-tete  in  the  full  presence  of  Lisa, 
Allan,  and  Jeanie.  We  both  felt  that  we  were 
undergoing  a  term  of  probation,  and,  feeling  sure 
of  each  other's  love,  we  bided  the  issue  with  ad- 
mirable patience. 

And  so  matters  went  on  for  a  time  with  the 
uneventfulness  which  marks  prosperity.  Lisa  and 
I  gradually  drew  closer  together  again,  and  I  found 
compensation  for  the  occupation  I  was  denied  in 
the  novel  pleasure  of  her  dear  companionship,  and 
in  the  promise  of  a  yet  nearer  .and  more  intimate 
union,  the  realization  of  which  hung  contingent 
upon  her  marriage.  It  seemed,  as  the  days  passed, 
as  if  the  child  grew  repentant  of  her  harsh  judg- 
ment of  me,  and,  though  she  made  no  open  and 
pronounced  manifestation  of  her  regret,  she  tes- 
tified to  it  in  a  thousand  tender  and  endearing 
little  acts  and  ways. 

One  day  I  spoke  to  Richard  of  the  attachment 
which  was  springing  up  between  his  son  and  my 
daughter. 

"  You  have  noticed  it,  yourself,  have  you  not  ?" 
I  asked,  after  alluding  to  it. 

"  From  the  first,"  he  replied. 

"  It  has  your  sanction  ?" 

"  I  could  ask  no  more  desirable  wife  for  him/' 


250  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

he  returned,  with  unmistakable  approval  in  his 
voice. 

"  Than  the  daughter  of  the  '  Queen  of  Hearts'  ?" 
I  asked,  half-mischievously,  half-bitterly,  for  the 
thorn  of  his  disapprobation  still  rankled  in  my 
breast. 

"  Than  the  daughter  of  the  woman  I  hope  some 
day  to  make  my  wife,"  he  answered,  gravely,  and 
the  light  and  fire  in  his  eyes  flooded  my  spirit  and 
held  me  wrapped  in  ecstasy  and  silent. 

We  were  standing  apart  from  the  young  people, 
pretending  to  be  engaged  with  some  rare  old  china 
which  I  had  recently  bought  at  auction.  After  a 
short  pause,  which  was  rendered  almost  solemn  by 
reason  of  the  reflection  that  engrossed  it,  he  said, 
softly  and  gently,  yet  with  passionate  intensity 
and  the  strong  emphasis  of  long-repressed  emo- 
tion,— 

"  Pauline,  that  day  must  not  be  needlessly  de- 
ferred." 

Of  late  the  air  had  been  more  than  usually 
tainted  with  sinister  reports  concerning  her  whom 
gossip  called  "  Mrs.  Dicky."  Barroll  had  been 
superseded  in  her  favor  by  a  man  of  scandalous 
character,  but  of  such  social  prestige  that  many 
women  of  the  world  contended  for  the  dishonor 
of  his  notice.  Irene  Quintard  had  flaunted  her 
conquest  of  this  notorious  blackguard,  Belmont 
Cooper,  boldly  and  triumphantly  before  the  world, 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  251 

and  it  had  fallen  to  my  lot  to  hear  many  of  her 
husband's  acquaintances  comment  upon  his  pas- 
sivity in  a  matter  where  the  honor  of  his  own  name 
was  so  perilously  endangered. 

I  looked  searchingly  at  him  now,  and,  as  I  had 
not  trusted  myself  to  study  his  face  much  since 
our  reconciliation,  I  was  surprised  and  pained  to 
see  how  sadly  it  had  changed  in  the  interim. 
There  were  now  many  creases  on  the  brow ;  that 
expression  of  determined  laisser-aller  or  philo- 
sophic resignation,  which  in  the  past  had  been  its 
most  salient  characteristic,  had  given  place  to  a 
frowning  moroseness  ;  the  always  thin  cheeks  had 
grown  absolutely  hollow,  and  upon  the  lips  I  loved 
there  sat  a  grim  spirit  of  harsh  resolve. 

My  heart  went  out  to  him  in  uncontrollable 
yearning.  No  words  of  his  were  necessary  to 
assure  me  at  what  cost  of  suffering  to  himself 
his  wife's  reckless  emancipation  had  been  granted. 
I  could  read  the  amount  of  payment  which  had 
been  exacted  from  his  pride  and  honor  in  plain 
signs  written  upon  his  features.  My  heart  swelled 
within  me,  and,  with  an  uncontrollable  impulse,  I 
stretched  out  my  hand  and  laid  it  for  one  brief 
second  upon  his.  Few  would  have  called  so  slight  a 
touch  a  caress,  but  it  was  such  to  us,  who,  through 
adverse  circumstance,  were  forced  to  appear  misers 
of  our  love  and  hoard  its  tokens  closely  within  the 
vaults  of  our  own  breasts. 


252  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

"  You  shall,  yourself,  set  the  time  after  Allan  is 
married,"  I  whispered,  and  granted  him  no  more. 
Nay,  I  resolutely  turned  from  his  side  and  wan- 
dered back  to  where  the  children  sat,  pretending 
to  hold  formal  converse,  but  betraying  their  inti- 
macy of  heart  and  soul  by  every  mutual  glance 
and  smile. 

Seeing  me  approach,  Lisa  drew  aside  her  dainty 
skirts.  She  was  a  delicious  dream  of  youth  and 
beauty,  in  a  misty  robe  of  embroidered  India  mus- 
lin, with  a  great  bunch  of  blue  forget-me-nots, 
which  matched  her  eyes,  thrust  into  the  bosom 
of  "her  gown,  and  her  golden  hair  falling  in  two 
heavy  braids  to  her  waist.  Ever  since  she  first 
came  into  his  life  her  lover — her  husband  now — 
has  made  a  daily  appeal  to  her  memory  through  a 
cluster  of  the  blossoms  which,  he  says,  most  re- 
semble her.  Indeed,  he  has  fallen  into  the  habit 
of  calling  her  Myosotis,  instead  of  Lisa,  in  accord- 
ance with  that  common  impulse  among  lovers 
which  moves  each  to  appropriate  to  his  exclusive 
use  some  special  designation  of  his  mistress. 

As  I  sank  back  upon  the  lounge  beside  her,  Lisa 
took  my  hand  affectionately  in  hers.  I  observed  that 
the  smooth  ivory  of  her  brow  was  fretted,  and  that 
a  look  of  perplexity  troubled  her  glance.  Allan, 
sitting  opposite,  with  his  dark  eyes  fixed  adoringly 
upon  her,  had  yet  an  expression  of  amused  antag- 
onism on  his  face,  and  it  was  apparent  that  I  had 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  253 

interrupted  an  argument  before  either  had  begun 
to  yield  to  the  force  of  the  other's  reasoning. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  I  asked,  rather  to  rivet  their  at- 
tention upon  themselves  in  order  that  I  might 
recover  my  self-control  unobserved  of  them  than 
because  I  felt  any  special  interest  in  their  youthful 
contentions.  "  What  weighty  and  momentous 
questions  are  you  two  youngsters  debating? 
Whether  it  is  a  frivolous  act  of  self-indulgence  to 
play  with  dolls,  Lisa,  you  little  convent-mouse,  or 
whether  a  great  fellow  like  you,  Allan,  should  have 
done  with  kites  and  tops  ?" 

They  both  laughed  and  I  joined  them.  Richard 
came  forward  and  stood  near  us,  leaning  against 
the  mantel.  I  embraced  the  little  group  in  a 
greedy  sigh.  I  wished  that  I  might  throw  a  per- 
manent snare  about  the  four  of  us,  to  hold  these 
three  I  loved  in  close  and  constant  proximity  to 
myself.  They  made  my  world ;  in  them  centred 
all  my  hopes,  interests,  aspirations.  My  calling 
had  fallen  from  me  like  a  worn-out  garment,  and 
in  its  folds  there  lingered  few  tender  associations 
to  make  me  reluctant  to  relinquish  it. 

"Give  me  these  three  dear  ones,  Fortune,"  I 
cried,  inwardly,  "  and  I  will  ask  no  more  of  you." 
And  I  rejoiced  in  my  heart,  for  it  seemed  that  my 
desire  was  to  be  granted  me.  Let  who  will  be- 
lieve in  premonitions  and  impressions ;  henceforth 
I  abjure  all  faith  in  them.  As  I  drew  Richard 


254  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

Quintard  and  his  son  and  my  Lisa  into  the  fulness 
of  my  love  through  my  yearning  eyes,  I  was,  in 
that  moment,  firmly  and  absolutely  convinced  that 
my  destiny  lay  plain  and  straight  and  smooth  be- 
fore me, — that  the  crown  of  my  life  was  well-nigh 
prepared,  and  that  but  a  slight  interval  would  yet 
elapse  before  it  should  be  placed  by  the  hands  of 
the  man  I  loved  upon  my  waiting  brow.  And  yet 
there  stood,  even  then,  upon  the  very  threshold 
of  this  assurance  the  grim  spectre  of  ruin  and 
disappointment. 

It  is  my  nature,  as  I  have  before  observed,  to 
give  way  to  my  feelings,  whether  joyous  or  the 
reverse,  and  now,  happier  than  I  had  ever  been  in 
my  life  before,  I  could  not  restrain  a  little  chuckle 
of  contentment.  It  was  the  bubbling  to  the  sur- 
face of  that  spring  of  assured  joy  that  had  its 
source  in  the  fairest  anticipations  I  had  ever  formed. 
Lisa,  observing  its  significance,  smiled  at  me  in 
sympathy. 

"What  is  it,  mother  dear?"  she  questioned, 
patting  the  hand  that  lay  in  hers. 

"Nothing,"  I  returned,  laughing  at  my  own 
childishness.  "  I  am  so  happy, — that's  all." 

All  three  smiled  at  my  words.  Graver  they 
all  were  than  I.  Indeed,  none  among  them  had 
ever  been  in  his  life  so  youthful  as  I  was  at  that 
instant,  for  those  of  a  gay  and  volatile  nature,  like 
myself,  possess  even  in  extreme  old  age  a  juve- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  255 

nescence  which  less  spontaneous  temperaments 
never  experience.  I  shall  carry  the  spirit  of  my 
childhood  to  my  grave;  it  died  in  them  almost 
before  they  recognized  it.  They  were  accustomed 
to  my  impulsiveness,  and  were  constantly,  as  now, 
making  amused  and  indulgent  concessions  to  it. 

I  pretended  to  take  offence  at  their  treatment  of 
my  mood,  and,  pouting,  drew  my  brows  together 
in  a  frown  of  assumed  annoyance. 

"  Hold !"  I  cried.  "  Is  content  a  fit  subject  for 
derision  ?  Have  any  of  you  such  an  excess  of  it 
that  you  can  afford  to  make  light  of  my  apprecia- 
tion of  it  ?  Why,  but  an  instant  ago,  you  children 
both  looked  as  serious  as  if  joy  had  no  place  in 
the  world,  and  now  you  jeer  at  me  for  boasting  a 
share  thereof.  Is  it  because  you  have  no  ability  to 
comprehend  my  mood  that  you  despise  it  ?  or  does 
the  grave  nature  of  your  debate  cast  a  temporary 
shadow  over  all  your  reflections?  Let  me  hear 
what  you  were  discussing,  and  I  will  decide  as  to 
whether  it  should  be  suffered  to  eclipse  the  sun- 
shine of  this  hour.  Pray  what  was  the  profound 
problem  with  which  you  baby  philosophers  were 
engaged  ?" 

We  were  all  smiling  when  I  put  the  question. 
When  Allan  made  his  response  not  a  face  that  was 
not  grave  remained  in  the  group.  His  very  voice 
sounded  strangely  altered  as  he  said,  a  little  hesi- 
tatingly,— 


256  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

"  We  were  discussing  divorce." 

I  drew  sharply  away  from  Lisa,  and  gathered 
my  forces  together  that  I  might  read  her  face.  Not 
that  I  needed  to  do  so  in  order  to  inform  myself 
what  side  had  been  hers  in  the  debate.  Child  of  the 
Romish  Church  that  she  was,  one  could  scarcely 
be  in  doubt  as  to  what  her  attitude  would  be  to- 
wards that  great  point  in  social  ethics  upon  which 
depended  all  my  hopes  of  future  happiness.  But  I 
felt  constrained  to  look  at  her  with  much  the  same 
vain  and  morbid  curiosity  which  prompts  the  con- 
demned to  seek  to  discover  beneath  his  mask  the 
features  of  the  executioner.  And  so  I  turned  my 
miserably  inquisitive  eyes  upon  her,  wondering 
that  a  doomsman  could  look  so  fair  and  gentle, 
while,  with  the  trick  of  stagecraft  that  long  prac- 
tice has  taught  me  so  readily  and  efficiently  to 
employ,  I  made  feint  to  smile  lightly  and  to  re- 
spond to  his  information  with  admirable  com- 
posure. 

"  And  who  was  pro,  and  who  con  ?"  I  asked,  as 

smoothly  as  I  could;  "you,  Lisa,  were ?"  I 

paused,  for  I  would  have  her  express  her  own  sen- 
timents without  aid  or  suggestion  from  any  one 
else.  It  was  time,  indeed,  that  I  learned  her  views. 
How  could  I  have  gone  on  building  my  castle 
without  reference  to  her  approval  of  the  architec- 
ture? How,  in  the  very  endeavor  to  overcome 
one  strong  conventual  prejudice,  could  I  have  re- 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  257 

mained  indifferent  to  the  probable  existence  of  a 
far  more  vital  one  ? 

Her  sweet  face  grew  grave  and  womanly.  One 
could  see  that  there  were  stern  and  strong  prin- 
ciples supporting  that  lovely  temple  of  youth  and 
innocence.  She  hesitated  a  second  before  reply- 
ing, but  when  her  answer  came  there  was  no  sign 
of  indecision  or  uncertainty  in  it. 

"  Naturally  I  was  against  that  most  unrighteous 
and  iniquitous  institution,"  she  said,  simply.  "  How 
could  it  be  otherwise,  mother  ?" 

How,  indeed?  Cuckoo-like,  I  had  placed  an 
embryo,  the  embryo  of  a  woman's  mind,  in  an  alien 
nest,  and  now  saw  with  horror  and  chagrin  that  its 
development  had  been  in  harmony  with  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  foster-parents. 

I  raised  my  eyes  to  the  face  of  Richard  Quin- 
tard  when  she  finished  speaking.  If  I  had  had 
pity  at  command  for  any  one  then,  he  should  have 
had  it  all.  But  I  had  none ;  despair  only.  The 
thing  was  as  plain  to  him  as  to  me,  and  our  eyes 
meeting  confessed  our  mutual  comprehension  of 
the  one  wretched  unalterable  fact.  Our  cause  had 
been  tried  and  lost  in  an  unexpected  moment.  The 
verdict  of  a  child,  uttered  not  lightly,  but  with  no 
slightest  suspicion  of  the  consequences  it  entailed, 
condemned  us  to  pay  to  the  uttermost  farthing 
the  costs  of  our  suit  against  happiness.  Ah,  the 
costs !" 

17 


258  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

I  withdrew  my  glance  from  that  haggard  one 
of  protest,  and  struggled  with  the  awful  sinking 
of  my  heart  sufficiently  to  compel  my  attention 
to  take  in  what  Allan  was  saying  in  reply  to 
Lisa. 

"  You  will  see  things  differently  some  day,  Miss 
Mavis,"  he  was  saying.  "  No  man  or  woman 
should  be  obliged  to  remain  yoked  to  another  who 
is  morally  corrupt.  The  idea  is  hideous,  intoler- 
erable,  and  you  will  come  to  accept  the  idea  of  the 
new  dispensation,  I  am  sure." 

"  A  man  may  separate  from  his  wife  or  a  woman 
from  her  husband  without  the  interference  of  the 
law,"  Lisa  replied,  and  the  color  deepened  in  her 
cheeks.  She  looked  rarely  lovely,  for  the  delicate 
nature  of  the  subject  she  was  handling,  together 
with  her  eagerness  to  show  herself  a  firm  adherent 
of  church  ordinances,  had  unusually  excited  and 
roused  her,  and  her  sensitive  face  was  the  mirror 
of  her  feelings.  Was  it  in  order  longer  to  indulge 
himself  with  the  enjoyment  of  the  extraordinary 
lustre  excitement  had  given  her  beauty,  or  because 
he  really  hoped  to  change  her  views,  that  Allan 
continued  to  offer  fresh  arguments  against  her 
scruples  ?  I  cannot  say,  but,  at  all  events,  he  pur- 
sued,— 

"  That  is  true,  certainly.  But,  without  the  inter- 
vention of  the  law,  neither  party  could  marry 
again." 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  259 

At  that  Lisa  rose  impetuously  and  confronted 
him. 

"  Marry  again !"  exclaimed  she,  hotly.  "  Marry 
again !  How  should  they  in  any  event  ?  A  man 
takes  a  wife  for  better  or  worse  !  A  woman  takes 
a  husband  until  death  do  them  part !  Let  either 
marry  again  during  the  lifetime  of  the  other  and 
no  law  made  by  man  can  sanctify  the  union  in  the 
sight  of  Christ." 

There  was  an  instant's  silence  while  at  the  name 
of  the  Lord  she  crossed  herself.  The  stillness  in 
the  room  was  like  the  reverent  hush  of  a  cathedral 
at  the  elevation  of  the  Host.  Then  Richard  came 
forward,  passed  the  child,  and  took  my  hand.  I 
rose  mechanically  and  allowed  him  to  draw  me 
aside.  There  was  a  look  of  protesting  apprehen- 
sion in  his  gray  eyes,  and  his  face  was  drawn  and 
white. 

"  Good  God !  you  won't  let  this  make  any  dif- 
ference, Pauline  ?  Mere  childish  babble  and  non- 
sense," he  added,  fiercely. 

And  yet  he  knew  all  the  time  that  the  difference 
was  already  made,  and  that  it  was  irreparable  and 
final. 

For  the  space  of  a  heart-beat  I  glanced  up  at 
him,  and  my  breast  heaved  and  my  lips  trembled. 
This  was  the  end,  then !  I  must  not  see  him  again, 
since  it  was  forbidden  us  ever  to  marry.  My  eyes 
clung  to  his  face  as  the  eyes  of  a  wife  hold  to  the 


260  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

features  of  her  husband  before  the  casket-lid  hides 
them  forever  from  her  sight.  Oh,  I  cannot  write 
of  that  moment !  It  was  no  interval,  but  the  be- 
ginning of  a  term  whose  anguish  has  never  dimin- 
ished. 

I  gripped  his  hand  hard  and  laid  my  other  upon 
it.  Then,  dropping  it,  or  almost  throwing  it  from 
me,  I  motioned  him  imperiously  to  go. 

"  Do  not  come  again,"  I  cried,  "  ever !" 

"  Pauline !" 

"No."  My  tone  was  firm  and  permitted  no 
contradiction.  "  We  have  tried  living  in  a  cast'le 
in  Spain.  Its  foundations  have  given  way  under 
us.  Go." 


CHAPTER    XI. 

LISA  has  never  known  to  what  extent  I  have 
sacrificed  myself  to  her  rigidly  inculcated  views. 
She  has  never  suspected  that  those  clearly  enun- 
ciated opinions  of  hers  laid  any  special  stress  upon 
my  life.  She  never  dreamed  that  in  upholding  her 
side  of  the  argument  against  Allan  she  was  clip- 
ping all  the  fair  buds  of  promise  from  my  tree  of 
happiness.  I  might  have  sought  to  combat  her 
scruples ;  I  might  have  antagonized  her  principles ; 
I  might  have  held  my  peace  until  she  and  Allan 
were  safely  married,  and  then,  when  her  protest 
could  have  availed  nothing,  I  might  have  carried 
out  my  plans  and  so  have  secured  my  own  satis- 
faction. 

Yes,  I  might  have  done  any  of  these  things,  it 
is  true;  or,  no,  not  I, — some  other  woman  and 
mother,  less  guilty  of  past  misconduct  towards  her 
child,  might  have  given  her  own  peace  of  mind 
pre-eminence  over  that  of  her  daughter,  perhaps. 
As  for  me,  I  was  burdened  with  a  weight  of  offence 
against  Lisa,  the  child  I  had  in  infancy  deserted, 
and  I  could  not  afford  in  honor  to  indulge  myself 
further  at  her  expense.  Rather  would  I  gladly 

261 


262  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

seize  upon  any  opportunity  of  self-sacrifice  which 
should  tend  to  offset  my  obligation. 

And  so  I  gave  no  hint  of  what  I  suffered.  Jeanie 
knew.  No  efforts  of  mine,  however  great,  could 
mislead  her  intuitions  where  I  am  concerned.  The 
instinct  of  the  ferret  for  his  prey  is  no  surer  or 
keener  than  are  her  perceptions  of  my  inmost  feel- 
ings. And  she  has  that  rare  faculty  of  disinte- 
grating the  mysterious  or  perplexing  and  reducing 
it  to  a  simple  fact  which  amounts  almost  to  divi- 
nation. 

Her  tenderness  to  me  in  those  first  dreary  days 
when  I  was  trying  to  grow  accustomed  to  the 
changed  aspect  of  my  life,  and  endeavoring  to 
overcome  the  hideousness  of  a  blank  future  by 
painting  upon  its  naked  surface  bright  and  glowing 
prospects  from  another's  experience,  her  consider- 
ation of  me  in  those  dark  days  was  surpassing. 
She  divined,  I  am  sure,  the  instant  her  practised 
eye  fell  upon  me  after  that  ordeal,  that  trouble  had 
afflicted  me,  and  though  it  was  her  custom  to  guard 
my  physical  welfare  as  if  I  had  been  an  infant  and 
she  my  nurse,  yet,  when  I  sat  throughout  that 
whole  night  before  the  fire  on  my  hearth,  watching 
with  my  dead  hopes,  she  urged  no  remonstrance, 
nor  troubled  me  with  word  of  any  kind.  Only, 
from  time  to  time,  as  the  hours  wore  on,  a  little, 
flannel-draped  form  would  steal  like  a  gray  shadow 
through  the  door-way  and  quietly  and  in  silence 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  263 

replenish  the  waning  fire.  Once  she  threw  a  soft 
shawl  about  my  knees,  and  I  felt  as  if  the  mother 
I  had  never  known  had  mutely  comforted  me. 

She  spared  me  all  attempt  to  probe  my  misery, 
but  received  those  occasional  hints  of  sore  distress, 
which  before  her  alone  I  felt  free  to  give  way  to, 
without  question  or  remark.  As  the  days  passed 
and  Richard  came  no  more,  she  made  no  comment 
upon  his  absence,  nor  speculated  upon  the  cause 
of  his  defection.  She  took  all  things  for  granted, 
calmly,  considerately,  and  impersonally.  She  was 
of  such  priceless  value  to  me  that,  had  I  rendered 
her  twenty  times  the  benefits  for  which  she  held 
herself  bound  to  me,  in  those  black  hours  of  my 
despair  she  would  have  amply  requited  me  by  her 
loving  ministrations. 

It  was  Lisa  who,  in  her  utter  unconsciousness, 
kept  adding  fresh  thorns  to  my  chaplet.  She  had 
conceived  a  deep  attachment  and  warm  admiration 
for  Allan's  father,  and  resented  and  bitterly  de- 
plored the  fact  that  his  visits  to  us  had  ceased. 

"  Why  do  you  think  he  doesn't  come  any  more, 
mother  dear  ?"  she  would  say.  "  He  used  to  seem 
so  happy  with  us  all.  Why  don't  you  write  and 
tell  him  how  much  we  miss  him  ?" 

Or  again, — 

"  Mother,  Allan  asked  his  father  yesterday  why 
he  doesn't  come  to  see  us  any  more." 

To  which,  some  sign  of  interest  on  my  part 


264  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

being  obviously  expected,  I  managed  to  say,  com- 
posedly enough,  "  Ah !  and  he  replied  ? " 

"  He  asked  if  we  spoke  of  his  absence,  and  if 
you  had  expressed  a  wish  to  see  him  again.  Why 
don't  you  send  him  a  message  ?  It  used  to  be  so 
pleasant  having  the  four  of  us  together." 

And  I  would  make  shift  to  put  her  off  with  some 
reasonable  subterfuge  which  would  satisfy  her  with- 
out awaking  her  suspicions.  For  I  knew  that  if 
ever  she  should  discover  the  fact  that  love  existed 
between  me  and  a  man  whose  wife  yet  lived,  that 
slowly  convalescing  filial  regard  and  affection  of 
hers  would  perish  in  an  instant.  Deeply  and  pas- 
sionately as  I  loved  her,  there  were  in  the  child 
many  of  those  traits  which,  in  the  father,  had  so 
repelled  me.  While  we  adored  each  other,  and 
still  continue  to  do  so,  we  can  never  be  wholly 
sympathetic  and  congenial.  She  is  principle ;  I  am 
temperament.  While  we  might  supplement  each 
other's  natures,  we  could  never  make  an  harmo- 
nious interchange  of  characteristics.  Emotion 
comes  after  intellect  with  her ;  it  well-nigh  rules 
me. 

I  think  that  Allan  had  an  idea  of  how  matters 
stood  between  Richard  and  me,  and  that  he  was 
grateful  for  the  cessation  of  his  father's  visits.  The 
gulf  between  himself  and  his  mother  had  grown 
very  wide, — too  wide,  I  think,  ever  again  to  be 
abridged,  and  I  was  aware  that  he  had  left  home 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  265 

and  had  established  himself  in  bachelors'  apart- 
ments. Sometimes  I  imagined  that  this  step  on 
his  part  had  driven  his  mother  to  throw  off  that 
thin  veil  of  decency  in  which  she  had  hitherto 
sufficiently  shrouded  her  conduct  to  permit  of  its 
passing  muster  among  a  not  very  exacting  set, 
and  that  now,  acknowledging  no  reason  for  further 
clothing  her  tendencies  and  actions,  she  allowed 
them  to  stand  forth  in  all  their  revolting  naked- 
ness for  what  they  were, — the  libertinage  of  a 
natural  courtesan. 

That  she  had  loved  the  lad  as  dearly  as  she  was 
capable  of  loving  anything  I  was  certain.  I  am 
equally  convinced  that  a  mother's  love,  once  kin- 
dled, never  dies.  I  felt  that  the  boy's  voluntary 
withdrawal  from  her  would  hurt  her  keenly,  and  I 
could  understand  that  the  loss  of  his  respect  and 
affection  would  sweep  away  the  last  shred  of  her 
self-restraint. 

I  missed  my  vocation  now  terribly.  For  a 
considerable  time  after  Lisa  first  came  to  me,  I  was 
too  joyously  engrossed  to  feel  the  loss  of  that 
occupation  to  which  I  had  so  long  been  appren- 
ticed. Now  I  coveted  its  absorbing  demands,  and 
craved  the  diversion  and  distraction  it  furnished. 

The  selfishness  of  lovers,  even  of  the  most  con- 
siderate of  the  species,  is  proverbial.  Absorbed 
in  each  other,  Lisa  and  Allan  had  little  thought  or 
time  to  devote  to  consideration  of  me.  And  I  was 


266  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

devoutly  thankful  that  it  was  so.  The  role  of  far- 
feuse  I  was  bent  upon  maintaining  was  thus  ren- 
dered far  less  difficult  than  it  would  otherwise  have 
been.  I  could  sit  for  long  hours  in  their  society, 
with  my  back  considerately  turned  upon  them, 
ruminating  upon  my  own  affairs,  and  they  would 
pay  no  heed  to  my  silence,  nor  protest  against  my 
abstraction. 

It  was  a  strange  experience  for  me  to  play  goose- 
berry in  a  trio,  to  form  an  unobserved  and  unim- 
portant member  of  a  group.  My  solitude  was 
purely  a  result  of  my  own  inclinations.  My  popu- 
larity, notwithstanding  the  fact  of  my  retirement, 
was  in  no  degree  on  the  wane.  I  was  still  a  salient 
feature  of  the  life  of  the  metropolis ;  my  renown 
had  by  no  means  grown  stale ;  my  name  was  still 
a  word  to  conjure  with.  Had  I  so  listed  I  might 
have  thrown  my  doors  wide  to  have  my  entrance 
crowded  by  an  eager  throng.  Nor  did  I  lack 
opportunity  to  change  my  estate.  Admirers  had 
never  been  wanting  to  me,  and  I  could  long  ago 
have  secured  an  honorable  and  even  distinguished 
position  among  New  York  matrons  had  my  am- 
bition run  in  such  a  channel. 

But  men  as  men  had  never  greatly  influenced 
me.  I  liked  them  as  comrades,  as  an  amusing 
element  in  life,  as  their  homage  catered  to  my 
vanity.  Otherwise  they  had  little  affected  me. 
While  I  had  been  in  a  sense  dependent  upon  them, 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  267 

for  they  entertained  and  diverted  me  far  more  than 
women  did,  yet,  until  I  met  Richard  Quintard,  my 
liking  for  them  had  been  purely  impersonal  and 
general. 

Often  the  question  had  been  put  to  me,  "  Ma- 
dame, why  do  you  not  marry  ?"  To  which  I  had 
ever  one  response,  a  sincere  if  laughing  one,  "  Be- 
cause I  have  yet  to  see  the  one  man  for  whom  I 
would  exchange  the  companionship  of  the  many." 

No  longer  could  I  truthfully  return  this  answer. 
I  had  seen  the  one  man,  but,  alas !  he  was  denied 
me,  and  the  society  of  the  multitude  had  lost  the 
power  to  charm.  Ah,  me !  is  not  my  case  a  hard 
one,  ye  white  and  silent  sharers  of  my  sorrows  ? 

It  was  towards  the  latter  part  of  May  that  Allan 
came  to  me  with  his  important  errand  discovering 
itself  in  every  line  and  feature  of  his  glowing  face. 
I  had  taken  a  place  for  the  summer  at  Southamp- 
ton, and  we  were  in  the  midst  of  preparations  for 
our  flitting.  Everything  was  more  or  less  in  con- 
fusion, but  Allan  was  now  a  member  of  the  family, 
and  came  and  went  at  his  own  discretion. 

The  trying  spring  weather  and  the  crisis  through 
which  I  was  passing  had  told  largely  upon  my 
physical  strength,  and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life 
I  felt  what  it  was  to  have  the  blood  trickle  feebly 
through  my  veins,  instead  of  rushing  turbulently 
and  invigoratingly  from  my  heart  to  my  throbbing 
pulses.  I  was  content  to  do  nothing,  which  in  one 


268  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

of  my  active  temperament  was  significant  of  the 
paralysis  of  my  will.  All  my  usual  restlessness, 
vivacity,  zest  for  pleasure,  seemed  to  have  been 
drained  from  me;  the  native  instinct  for  amuse- 
ment and  excitement  had  died  in  my  breast.  That 
solitude  which  had  ever  been  most  irksome  and 
distasteful  to  my  social  nature  appeared  now  the 
most  welcome  boon  the  world  could  grant  me.  I 
was  impatient  of  its  interruption,  and,  as  I  sat  that 
warm  spring  morning  reclining  in  a  low  chair, 
which  had  been  drawn  into  the  embrasure  of  a  bay- 
window,  whose  casements  stood  wide  to  admit  the 
mild  summer  breeze,  I  inwardly  resented  Allan's 
intrusion  upon  my  brooding  melancholy. 

I  welcomed  him  hospitably,  however,  and,  as  he 
gazed  down  upon  me,  actually  beholding  me,  per- 
haps, for  the  first  time  in  many  weeks,  for  the  eyes 
of  a  lover,  unless  purposely  constrained,  see  but 
one  object  distinctly  upon  their  field  of  vision,  he 
started,  and  looked  shocked  and  troubled. 

I  stretched  out  a  hand  to  him,  a  hand  on  which 
the  rings  hang  loose  nowadays,  and  he  held  it  in 
silence  a  minute,  still  with  that  expression  of  con- 
cern deepening  in  his  dark  eyes.  Then  he  drew 
forward  a  chair  close  to  mine,  and,  seating  himself 
on  it,  addressed  me  in  the  grave,  hushed,  almost 
appalled  tone  we  use  towards  the  sick  or  dying. 

"  What  is  this,  dear  madame  ?"  he  asked  ;  "  what 
has  happened  to  change  you  so  ?" 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  269 

I  forced  a  smile  and  tried  to  assume  my  former 
gay  and  light-hearted  manner.  But,  now  that  the 
lad's  perceptions  were  awakened,  I  could  no  longer 
impose  upon  them  with  false  appearances.  He 
discovered  the  effort  and  repudiated  it. 

"  Ah,"  I  replied  to  his  question,  "  this  comes  of 
having  a  foil  in  one's  own  household.  Until  Lisa 
came  you  never  thought  to  notice  that  I  was 
growing  old,  fading,  as  the  term  is.  But  compari- 
sons are  naturally  instituted  between  youth  and 
age,  between  spring  and  autumn,  and  naturally  to 
the  disadvantage  of  the  maturer  seasons." 

His  face  never  lightened.  It  was  plain  my  words 
had  made  no  impression  upon  his  solicitude.  He 
continued  to  regard  me  with  deep  anxiety. 

"  How  could  this  have  been  going  on  and  I  not 
have  observed  it  ?"  he  ejaculated,  as  if  thinking 
aloud,  and  his  unmistakable  concern  warmed  my 
heart.  But  I  would  not  accept  it. 

"  Foolish  boy !"  I  cried,  laughing  aloud  in  pre- 
tended derision  of  his  sympathy ;  "  there  is  nothing 
the  matter  but  this  intolerable  weather.  The  sea- 
breezes " 

"  Sea-breezes !"  he  reiterated  contemptuously ; 
"  it  is  a  fresh  wind  of  Destiny,  not  of  Nature,  that 
you  need  to  bring  you  back  to  your  bearings." 
He  rose  quickly  and  pushed  back  his  chair.  "  I 
am  not  blind,  madame,"  he  continued,  rapidly  and 
as  if  fired  by  a  sudden  resolve.  "  I  am  not  blind* 


270  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

though  ever  since  I  outgrew  my  boyhood  it  has 
been  my  policy  to  shut  my  eyes  to  many  things. 
But  I  have  seen  enough,  Heaven  knows,  between 
my  closed  lids.  I  am  not  a  brilliant  fellow,  it  is 
true,  yet  neither  am  I  a  wholly  dull  one,  especially 
concerning  those  whom  I  love.  My  father's  do- 
mestic discomfort,  for  instance,  has  never  escaped 
my  notice ;  it  was  scarcely  likely  to,  indeed,  since 
I  shared  it,  until  it  became  unbearable."  He  broke 
off,  and,  plunging  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  took  a 
few  hasty  turns  up  and  down  the  room,  as  if  feeling 
the  necessity  of  conquering  the  emotion  which  was 
almost  mastering  him.  I  had  never  seen  him  so 
agitated  before,  not  even  when  he  had  had  that 
short,  angry  scene  with  his  father  in  this  very  room. 
Then  his  temper  had  been  roused ;  now  his  most 
sacred  feelings  were  touched. 

Presently  he  again  approached  me  and  sat  down. 

"  Madame,"  he  said,  speaking  slowly  and  shame- 
facedly, as  if  confessing  some  culpability  of  his 
own,  "  I  have,  during  the  last  five  years,  been 
gradually  realizing  the  worst  disillusionment  which 
can  come  to  a  fellow.  You  know,  any  one  in  New 
York  would  know,  what  I  mean.  I  don't  want  to 
enlarge  on  the  subject ;  it  is  bad  enough,  Heaven 
knows,  to  be  obliged  to  hint  at  it.  But  had  it  not 
been  for  you  and  your  daughter  I  should  have  been 
a  pretty  miserable  fellow  to-day.  What  your  home 
has  been  to  me,  even  before  Lisa  came  to  it,  I  can 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  271 

never  describe  to  you."  Again  he  paused  slightly, 
and  dropped  his  eyes  from  my  face  to  the  ground. 
When  he  raised  them  again  I  could  read  embar- 
rassment and  some  confusion  in  their  clear  depths. 
But  he  went  resolutely  on. 

"  I  am  going  to  be  quite  frank  with  you,  dear 
madame,"  he  went  on,  "  and  therefore  I  confess  that 
I  made  your  acquaintance  in  a  desperate  moment, 
when  I  had  grown  sick  and  disgusted  with  the 
dishonesty  of  the  so-called  respectable  society  to 
which  my  mother  had  introduced  me,  and  hailed 
with  satisfaction  an  opportunity  to  enter  that  which 
was  confessedly  Bohemian.  I  was  wholly  unpre- 
pared, I  acknowledge,  for  the  pure  atmosphere  that 
I  found  in  your  home.  That  it  was  congenial  to 
me  I  need  hardly  say.  But  I  was  not  alone  in  my 
appreciation  of  it,  madame.  There  was  another 
who  found  comfort  and  happiness  here.  It  is  not 
necessary  for  me  to  name  him.  You  are  well 
aware  who  it  was  that  likewise  found  your  society 
a  solace,  your  home  an  ark  of  refuge." 

My  heart  beat  violently,  my  throat  throbbed, 
and  there  were  tears  in  my  eyes,  though  I  would 
not  let  them  fall.  The  moment  was  too  solemn, 
even  for  weeping.  I  bowed  and  clasped  my  hands 
together  to  still  their  nervous  trembling. 

"You  have  been  kinder  to  me  than  to  him," 
Allan  proceeded,  gently.  "You  have  ever  held 
your  door  wide  open  to  me,  and  have  encouraged 


272  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

me  to  ask  for  the  dearest  gift  in  your  possession, 
but  you  have  forbidden  him  even  the  privileges  of 
acquaintanceship.  Madame,  why  is  it  ?" 

Did  he  not  know,  or  was  he  trying  to  force  me 
to  confess  my  resolve  in  order  to  combat  it  ?  It 
was  impossible  for  me  to  make  open  avowal  of  my 
love  for  the  father  to  the  son,  and  besides  I  be- 
lieved it  quite  unnecessary  that  I  should  do  so.  I 
cast  a  swift  glance  at  him,  and  then  turned  aside 
my  eyes.  The  hot  color  flooded  my  cheeks  as  I 
replied  to  him. 

"  It  is  a  needless  question,  Allan,"  I  whispered. 
"You  know  why  I  can  no  longer  receive  your 
father  as  I  do  you." 

"  I  do,"  he. returned,  leaning  forward  and  taking 
one  of  my  hands  in  his.  "  But  that  reason  can  be 
set  aside,  and  it  shall  be.  Who  can  be  a  more 
impartial  judge  between  parents  than  a  child  that 
grows  up  with  equal  love  for  each  in  his  heart  ?  I 
tell  you,  madame,  though  God  knows  I  hate  to  say 
it,  that  my  father  has  every  right  to  break  his 
marriage-tie;  that  his  wife  has,  herself,  annulled 
their  union ;  that  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man  he 
stands  justified  in  setting  aside  a  woman  who  has 
forfeited  her  claim  upon  him  and  in  putting  in  her 
place  one  whom  he  can  honor  and  respect  as  well 
as  love.  Madame,  if  I,  my  mother's  son,  bid  my 
father  divorce  her  and  marry  you,  who  else  has  a 
right  to  interfere  ?" 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  273 

There  was  some  one  besides  ourselves  in  the 
room.  Had  we  not  been  so  vitally  occupied 
with  one  supreme  consideration  we  might  have 
heard  her  enter.  Now,  attracted  by  the  sound 
of  a  quickly  indrawn  breath,  we  turned  simulta- 
neously to  discover  Lisa  advancing  swiftly  towards 
us. 

"  I  have  not  been  listening,"  she  cried,  violently 
for  her.  "  I  had  no  thought  of  eavesdropping,  but 
I  have  heard  your  words,  Allan,  your  sinful  words 
and  wicked  advice.  You  ask  who  has  a  right  to 
interfere  in  the  abominable  project  you  counsel,  to 
stand  between  my  mother  and  a  horrible  union  that 
could  never  be  a  true  marriage.  Let  me  tell  you, 
then,  that  I  have  this  right.  If  you  are  your 
father's  son,  I  am  likewise  my  mother's  daughter, 
and  equally  concerned  with  you  in  a  matter  which 
has  to  do  with  her  marriage  with  a  man  who  is 
not  even  yet  divorced.  It  is  hideous,  monstrous, 
this  discussion  of  yours,"  she  continued,  excitedly, 
"  and  I  do  not  believe  it  has  any  framework  what- 
ever. My  mother  in  love  with  a  married  man,  con- 
templating a  project  for  setting  aside  that  man's 
wife !  Oh,  no ;  such  a  thing  could  never  be ;  you 
are  crazy,  Allan." 

She  was  exceedingly  beautiful  in  her  passionate 
excitement,  but  very  stern  and  rigidly  uncompro- 
mising, as  she  stood  facing  us  in  her  righteous 

indignation.     It  was  upon  him  that  she  concen- 

18 


274  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

trated  her  whole  attention,  as  if  wishing  to  force 
him  to  contradict  his  own  proposition.  But  he 
remained  mute. 

"  Tell  me  it  is  a  concoction  of  your  own,  this 
idea,  Allan,"  she  urged;  "that  my  mother  has 
nothing  to  do  with  it" 

Still  he  held  his  peace. 

Then,  after  a  slight  interval,  she  remarked,  slowly 
and  very  deliberately, — 

"  You  know,  of  course,  that  I  would  never  marry 
you  if  such  an  evil  thing  were  to  take  place." 

At  that  the  lad  cried  out  her  name,  entreatingly, 
protestingly,  but  without  avail,  and  I  knew,  being 
aware  of  the  adamant  of  which  her  principles,  the 
principles  of  James  Mavis's  daughter,  were  formed, 
that  he  might  have  fallen  dead  before  her  without 
affecting  her  resolution. 

I  rose  from  my  seat  and  collected  all  my  energy 
for  the  fabrication  and  utterance  of  the  falsehood 
I  was  about  to  speak.  Ah,  what  it  is  to  be  an 
actress  by  profession !  The  long  tutelage  of  feature 
and  faculty  stood  me  in  good  stead  now.  Even 
Allan  gaped  in  astonishment  at  my  performance, 
so  perfect  and  finished  it  was,  while  with  Lisa,  her- 
self the  most  open  and  candid  of  creatures,  it  wholly 
prevailed  over  doubt  and  suspicion. 

As  I  drew  myself  erect  I  stretched  my  arms 
languidly  above  my  head  and  yawned,  deliberately 
and  lazily.  Then,  while  Lisa  stood  gazing  at  me 


A  Queen  of  Hearts-  275 

as  if  I  had  gone  mad,  I  looked  mischievously  at 
Allan  and  burst  out  laughing. 

"  It  is  really  too  funny !"  I  exclaimed,  "  but  it's 
rather  too  bad,  too.  However,  if  we've  teased  her, 
Allan,  she  seems  to  have  frightened  you  out  of 
your  wits.  You  didn't  think  that  anything  in  the 
world  could  be  allowed  to  come  between  you  two, 
I  suppose.  Well,  you  have  heard  that  there  might 
be  obstacles  even  in  the  pathway  of  your  love,  my 
dear  boy." 

And  I  shook  my  head  forebodingly  at  him,  while 
Lisa  came  close  to  me  with  interrogation  written 
on  every  line  of  her  face,  and  gravity  weighing 
heavily  upon  her  perplexed  spirit. 

"What  did  it  mean,  mother,"  she  asked,  in  a 
low,  constrained  tone,  "that  which  Allan  was 
saying  to  you  as  I  came  in?  What  did  it 
mean  ?" 

Again  I  laughed  outright  and  heartily. 

"  It  meant,"  I  said,  "  that  you  are  a  suspicious 
little  goose,  and  conjure  up  all  sorts  of  ridiculous 
notions  out  of  nothing.  It  meant  that  poor  Allan 
was  trying  to  entertain  me  with  a  description  of  a 
play  he  saw  the  other  night  in  Philadelphia,  and  I 
was  really  quite  carried  away  with  it  and  forgot 
how  hungry  I  was,  and  that  it  must  be  luncheon- 
time.  Ring  the  bell,  there's  a  good  boy,  Allan, 
and  find  out  if  Stone  means  to  give  us  anything  to 
eat  to-day.  I  am  actually  starved." 


276  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

As  her  lover  left  us  to  do  my  bidding,  Lisa 
brought  her  lips  close  to  my  ear. 

"  Mother,"  she  whispered, "  do  you  love  any  man 
better  than  you  do  me  ?" 

I  placed  my  hands  firmly  on  her  shoulders  and 
looked  her  full  in  the  eyes. 

"  My  darling,"  I  replied,  "  I  love  no  one  in  the 
world,  either  man  or  woman,  better  than  I  love 
you."  Which  was,  indeed,  God's  truth. 

"  And  you  have  really  no  thought  of  marrying  ?" 
she  pursued. 

"  I  have,  indeed,  sober  and  earnest  thoughts,"  I 
answered. 

Her  face  grew  troubled  again. 

"  Oh,  I  cannot  tell  whether  you  are  joking  or 
not,"  she  complained. 

"  No  joke  about  it,"  I  said.  "  I  have  every  in- 
tention of  marrying,  and  that  before  long." 

She  drew  a  little  away  from  me,  recovering  her 
somewhat  stiff  attitude. 

"  May  I  know  whom  it  is  your  purpose  to 
marry  ?"  she  asked. 

I  smiled. 

"  Who  has  a  better  right  to  know,  my  dear  ?" 

She  waited  a  moment.  "  Who  is  it  ?"  she  then 
inquired. 

I  drew  her  forcibly  into  my  arms. 

"  Why,  you  and  Allan,  you  silly  child,"  said  I. 
"  Have  he  and  I  not  spent  the  morning  exhausting 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  277 

the  subject  of  your  marriage,  until  even  Allan  grew 
a  little  weary  of  the  endless  discussion,  and  wan- 
dered to  another  topic.  By  the  way,  Allan,  I 
must  see  that  play  some  day.  Who,  did  you  say, 
plays  the  heroine?" 

The  boy  was  regarding  me  very  gravely,  as  if 
he  were  watching  some  one  lift  a  weight  that  was 
too  heavy  for  him. 

"  A  woman  whose  name  I  have  forgotten,"  he 
replied ;  "  but  I  have  never  seen  her  equal  upon 
any  stage." 

"  Be  careful  of  my  professional  vanity,"  I  cau- 
tioned him  lightly. 

"  You  know  how  I  have  always  admired  you, 
madame,"  he  returned.  "  But  the  demands  of  this 
role  were  fearfully  exacting,  and  I  shall  carry  to 
my  grave  a  memory  of  how  nobly  that  woman 
fulfilled  them." 

(EDITOR'S  POSTSCRIPT.) 

Here  end  the  memoirs.  The  manuscript  failed 
at  this  point,  leaving  no  conclusion  to  the  narrative 
excepting  that  furnished  by  the  contents  of  a  news- 
paper clipping  which  I  discovered  thrust  in  among 
the  loose  sheets.  It  bore  a  date  three  months  later 
than  that  which  appeared  upon  the  first  page  of  the 
journal,  and  I  regard  the  accident  or  intention 
which  preserved  the  printed  slip  among  the  leaves 
of  the  unfinished  romance  as  most  fortunate,  for  it 


278  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

assures  those  who  have  followed  the  brilliant  but 
unsatisfying  career  of  our  Queen  of  Burlesque, 
but  Beggar  of  Content,  that  the  domestic  happi- 
ness which  was  denied  her  youth  was  assured  her 
age. 

THE  CLIPPING. 

Last  night  Vaubin's  French  restaurant  on 

Place  was  the  scene  of  a  tragic  occurrence  which 
had  a  fatal  and  most  unhappy  ending.  This  Bohe- 
mian place  of  entertainment  has  of  late  been  much 
frequented  by  certain  of  the  ultra-fashionable  set 
who  are  not  above  seeking  diversion  in  even  the 
hedges  and  byways  of  metropolitan  life.  On  this 
occasion  one  of  the  tables  was  tenanted  by  a  party 
composed  of  no  less  distinguished  persons  than 
Mrs.  Richard  Owen,  more  familiarly  called  "  Mrs. 
Dicky,"  Quintard,  Mrs.  Jerry  Van  Saltine,  Belmont 
Cooper,  and  Converse  Appleton.  Near  them  sat 
a  solitary  diner,  apparently  a  foreigner,  who  sud- 
denly made  a  violent  and  most  unexpected  assault 
upon  Mrs.  Quintard. 

It  appears  that  the  lady  had  been  expressing 
herself  in  audible  tones  and  unmeasured  terms 
concerning  a  celebrated  actress,  now  retired  from 
the  stage,  who  not  long  since  succeeded  in  marry- 
ing her  daughter  to  the  sole  heir  of  the  Quintard 
millions.  As  she  was  in  the  full  tide  of  her  denun- 
ciation of  this  lady,  the  man  at  the  next  table 
sprang  from  his  seat  and,  coming  close  to  her, 


A  Queen  of  Hearts  279 

threatened  her  with  word  and  gesture.  He  was 
immediately  collared  by  one  of  the  gentlemen  of 
the  party,  and  upon  Mrs.  Quintard  remarking  that 
she  recognized  him  as  a  former  servant  of  her  own 
he  grew  even  yet  more  violent,  repudiating  her 
statement,  and  claiming  to  be  the  father  of  the 
actress  in  question,  whose  picture  he  drew  from  his 
pocket  in  substantiation  of  his  relationship. 

It  then  became  apparent  that  he  belonged  to 
that  class  of  harmless  cranks  whose  feeble  wits  go 
mad  over  the  charms  of  professional  stars,  and 
without  more  ado  he  was  ejected  from  the  place. 
It  was  doubtless  owing  to  the  desire  of  the  pro- 
prietor to  shield  his  restaurant  from  notoriety  that 
the  fellow  was  not  delivered  over  to  the  police,  ob- 
viously the  proper  method  of  dealing  with  him. 
Had  the  gentlemen  who  formed  Mrs.  Quintard's 
escort  but  insisted  upon  this,  a  sad  and  dreadful 
catastrophe  might  have  been  averted.  Not  long 
after,  the  party  emerged  from  the  restaurant,  and, 
as  they  were  about  entering  their  cabs,  they  were 
again  accosted  by  their  late  assailant,  who  began 
again  to  revile  Mrs.  Quintard  in  low  and  ribald 
language.  Her  escort,  Mr.  Cooper,  ordered  him 
off  and  banged  the  carriage-door  in  his  face.  It  is 
supposed  that  that  so  exasperated  the  frenzied  man 
that  he  lost  all  self-control,  for,  as  the  driver  was 
gathering  up  his  reins  to  start,  he  saw  a  figure 
dash  into  the  street  before  him,  throw  himself  in 


28 o  A  Queen  of  Hearts 

front  of  the  horses,  clutching  at  their  bridles.  The 
sudden  onslaught  frightened  the  animals.  They 
reared  for  an  instant,  came  heavily  down  upon  the 
poor,  mad  creature,  and  then  tore  wildly  up  town. 

At  the  corner  of th  Street  and  Sixth  Avenue 

they  overset  the  swaying  carriage  upon  the  side- 
walk. The  occupants,  Mrs.  Quintard  and  Mr. 
Cooper,  were  thrown  out  upon  the  ground,  the 
lady  striking  her  head  heavily  upon  the  curbstone 
and  sustaining  mortal  injuries,  from  which  she  died 
a  few  hours  later.  Mr.  Cooper  escaped  with  trifling 
bruises.  The  unfortunate  Frenchman,  who  was 
found  with  his  brains  dashed  out  by  a  blow  from 
the  horses'  hoofs,  was  this  morning  identified  as 
an  unfortunate  musician  who  had  formerly  been  a 
member  of  some  of  our  theatre-orchestras,  and  who, 
later,  did,  indeed,  serve  in  a  menial  capacity  in  the 
Quintard  household. 


THE    END. 


By  Marie  Corelli. 


Barabbas : 
A  DREAM  OF  THE  WORLD'S  TRAGEDY. 

I2mo.     Red  buckram,  $1.00. 

Purixg  its  comparatively  brief  existence  this  remarkable  book  has  been  trans- 
lated into  French,  German,  Swedish,  Hindoostani,  and  Gujerati.  In 
England  and  America,  the  phenomenal  demand  for  the  work  still  exhausts 
edition  after  edition  in  rapid  succession. 

"  Tragic  intensity  and  imaginative  vigor  are  the  features  of  this  powerful  tale." 
•—Philadelphia  Ledger. 

"  A  book  which  aroused  in  some  quarters  more  violent  hostility  than  any  book 
of  recent  years.  By  most  secular  critics  the  authoress  was  accused  of  bad  taste, 
bad  art,  and  gross  blasphemy ;  but,  in  curious  contrast,  most  of  the  religious  paper* 
acknowledged  the  reverence  of  treatment  and  the  dignity  of  conception  which 
characterized  the  work." — London  Athenaum. 


The  Sorrows  of  Satan ; 

OR,  THE  STRANGE  EXPERIENCE  OF  ONE  GEOFFREY 
TEMPEST,  MILLIONAIRE. 

WITH  FRONTISPIECE  BY  VAN  SCHAICK. 
I2mo.     Red  buckram,  $1.50. 

"A  very  powerful  piece  of  work.  A  literary  phenomenon,  novel,  and  even 
•ublime." — Review  of  Reviews. 

"  She  is  full  of  her  purpose.  Dear  me,  how  she  scathes  English  society !  Sh« 
exposes  the  low  life  of  high  life  with  a  ruthless  pen.  The  sins  of  the  fashionable 
world  made  even  Satan  sad ;  they  were  more  than  he  could  bear,  poor  man  1  The 
hook  is  lively  reading." — Chicago  Tribune. 


Cameos. 

I2mo.     Red  buckram,  $1.00. 

"Marie  Corelli  possesses  a  charm  as  a  writer  that  perhaps  has  never  b«n 
better  displayed  than  in  her  recent  work,  '  Cameos.'  " — Burlington  Hawk-Eye. 

"  As  long  as  Miss  Corelli  can  write  stories  like  these  she  will  not  lack  readers. 
In  this  volume  she  gives  new  and  convincing  proofs  of  versatility,  spirit,  tender- 
ness, and  power." — Chicago  Tribune. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


By  Marie  Corelli. 


The  Murder  of  Delicia. 

I2mo.     Red  buckram,  $1.25. 

"  The  story  is  told  with  all  the  vigor  and  command  of  sarcasm  which  are  pecu- 
fiar  to  the  author.  It  is  a  most  interesting  story,  and  the  moral  of  it  is  a  wholesome 
one." — Buffalo  Courier. 

"  Her  style  is  so  clear-cut,  keen,  and  incisive,  so  trenchant  and  yet  so  delicate. 
•o  easily  wielded — so  like  a  javelin,  in  short — that  one  cannot  but  be  fascinated 
throughout  the  book." — Philadelphia  Record. 

"  A  more  powerful  invective  against  the  reigning  and  popular  society  evils  has 
rarely  been  written,  with  so  fine  a  blending  of  the  elements  of  reproach  and  con- 
demnation, rage  and  pity,  sarcasm  and  pathos." — Boston  Courier. 


The  Mighty  Atom. 

I2mo.     Red  buckram,  $1.25. 

"  Such  a  book  as  '  The  Mighty  Atom*  can  scarcely  fail  in  accomplishing  a  vast 
amount  of  good.  It  should  be  on  the  shelves  of  every  public  library  in  England 
and  America.  Marie  Corelli  has  many  remarkable  qualities  as  a  writer  of  fiction. 
Her  style  is  singularly  clear  and  alert,  and  she  is  the  most  independent  of  thinkers 
and  authors  of  fiction ;  but  her  principal  gift  is  an  imagination  which  rises  on  a  bold 
and  easy  wing  to  the  highest  heaven  of  invention." — Boston  Home  Journal. 


Vendetta  ;  or,  The  Story  of  One  Forgotten. 
I2mo.    Buckram,  $1.00. 

"  The  story  is  Italian,  the  time  1884,  and  the  precise  stage  of  the  acts,  Naples, 
during  the  last  visitation  of  the  cholera.  A  romance,  but  a  romance  of  reality. 
No  mind  of  man  can  imagine  incidents  so  wonderful,  so  amazing,  as  those  of  actual 
occurrence." — Washington  National  Republican. 


ISSUED  IN  THE  LOTOS  LIBRARY. 

Jane. 

i6mo.     Polished  buckram,  75  cents. 

"  It  is  a  sympathetic  tale,  full  of  admirable  contrast  between  the  old-fashion«d 
and  the  new.'  —  Washington  Times. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


By  Charles  Conrad  Abbott. 


A  Colonial  Wooing. 

A  Novel.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $l.oo. 

"  Those  of  onr  readers  who  remember  Dr.  Abbott's  '  Travels  in  a  Tree-Top/ 
published  about  a  year  ago,  will  be  glad  to  get  this  new  volume  from  his  pen.  It  is 
a  study  of  social  life  during  the  early  Colonial  period  in  this  section  of  New  Jersey. 
The  story  is  a  charming  one,  and  will  add  very  much  to  Dr.  Abbott's  literary 
reputation."—  Trenton  True  American. 


When  the  Century  was  New. 

A  Novel.     I2mo.     Cloth,  uncut,  $1.00. 

The  books  by  Dr.  Charles  C.  Abbott  which  appeal  most  intensely  to  our  hearts 
are  those  in  which  he  sketches  the  familiar  character  of  the  Jersey  neighborhoods 
he  has  made  his  own.  In  this  charming  novel  we  have  the  best  of  his  character- 
drawing  up  to  date,  and  the  plot  is  exceptionally  well  planned.  The  tale  deals 
with  our  forefathers,  and  is  therefore  in  the  vein  which  best  pleases  the  reader  of 
to-day. 

Recent   Rambles  ;  Or,  in  Touch  with  Nature. 
Illustrated.     I2mo.    Cloth,  $2.00. 

"  In  the  literature  of  nature  Dr.  Abbott's  books  hold  a  peculiar  place.  With 
all  their  close  application  they  are  not  too  technical,  and  their  charm  for  the  genera] 
reader  is  the  more  potent  in  that  this  is  so.  We  all  love  nature,  but  we  do  not  all 
care  to  embark  in  a  study  of  ornithology,  botany,  and  zoology  in  order  to  appreciate 
it ;  and  in  this  new  volume  we  find  how  keen  our  enjoyment  can  be,  even  if  we  do 
not  possess  such  scientific  knowledge.  Those,  on  the  other  hand,  who  are  already 
students  of  nature,  will  be  fascinated  by  the  wide  and  accurate  information  gained 
for  them  by  the  Doctor's  numerous  tramps  and  multiplied  hours  of  observant 
idleness.  The  book  is  full  of  touches  of  humor,  unexpected  turns,  and  pungent 
sayings,  and  should  be  perused  by  every  one  of  our  readers." — Commercial 
Advertiser  (Detroit). 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


By  Charles  Conrad  Abbott. 

Travels  in  a  Tree-Top. 

12010.     Cloth,  51.25. 

"  Mr.  Abbott  is  a  kindred  spirit  with  Burroughs  and  Maurice  Thompson  and, 
we  might  add,  Thoreau,  in  his  love  for  wild  nature,  and  with  Olive  Thome  Miller 
in  his  love  for  the  birds.  He  writes  without  a  trace  of  affectation,  and  his  simple, 
compact,  yet  polished  style  breathes  of  ont-of-doors  in  every  line." — New  York 
Churchman.  

Bird- Land  Echoes. 

Profusely  illustrated  by  William  Everett  Cram.    Crown  8vo.  J  Cloth, 
gilt  top,  $2.00. 

"  The  birds  are  grouped  '  geographically'  and  not  '  systematically/  He  has 
allowed  eye  and  ear  to  revel  in  what  the  wild  birds  do  and  say.  The  triumph  of 
his  spontaneous  art  in  writing  is  to  impart  to  the  reader  a  goodly  proportion  of 
the  love  he  bears  to  all  birds,  '  whether  they  are  commonplace  or  rare,  stupid  or 
entertaining,  gentle  or  vicious,  large  or  small.'  The  volume  is  further  enriched 
by  about  a  hundred  portraits  of  birds  from  the  skilful  pencil  of  William  Everett 
Cram."— Philadelphia,  Press. 

The  Birds  About  Us. 

Illustrated.     Crown  8vo.     Cloth,  £2.00. 

"  This  book  is  one  of  the  most  complete  and  interesting  studies  of  the  birds  of 
our  country  that  has  ever  come  to  our  knowledge,  and  must  be  valued  by  every 
lover  of  our  feathered  friends.  Its  style  is  familiar  and  genial,  and  it  is  not  burdened 
with  technicalities,  while  its  descriptions  are  perfectly  accurate." — Boston  Horn* 
Journal.  

Abbott's  Bird  Library. 

THE  BIRDS  ABOUT  US.  BIRD-LAND   ECHOES. 

Two  volumes  in  a  box.     I2mo.     Cloth,  gilt  top,  $4.00. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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